The Five Natural Elements

(Gogyô no uchi, 五行之内)

Publisher: Suruga-ya Sakujirô

1842-1846

This series of fan prints (uchiwa) compares beautiful women to the five elements. It is not listed in Kuniyoshi by Basil William Robinson (Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 1961). I am grateful to Robert Pryor for his contributions to this series.

Element: Fire (ka, 火)

Title: Lantern (Chochin no kasho)

Description: Beauty lighting a lantern

Element: Earth (do, 土)

Title: Morning Glory (Asagao no dosei, 朝顔の土性)

Description: Young woman with potted morning glories

Element: Metal (kon, 金)

Title: Needle (Hari no kinsho, 針乃金性)

Description: Beauty with needle and thread

This is another state of the above design. In both states, the brown was originally purple.

Element: Water (sui, 水)

Title: Watermelon (Suika no suisho, 西瓜の水性)

Description: Beauty extracting seeds from a slice of watermelon

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