Triptychs and diptychs of beautiful women,
Part I
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Please see Untitled set of triptychs of the six crystal rivers and Feminine Pleasures of the Four Seasons for other example of this genre. Unless otherwise noted, the individual sheets of these triptychs are each about 14 by 10 inches (36 by 25 centimeters), a size known as ôban. I am grateful to Ward Pieters for assisting with this section. |
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Title: Flowers of
Edo (Edo no hana, 江戸の花源門之夕暮) Description: Evening scene
at a brothel in Date: 11th
month of 1860 Publisher: Jôshû-ya Kinzô |
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A partially recut edition of the above design with a child in the
left sheet replacing the adult man |
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Series: Pleasures of
the Four Seasons (Shiki yûkan, 四季遊観) Robinson: Not listed Title: Summer (Natsu,
夏), Evening Cool
between Bridge Piers (Hashima no suzumi, 橋留の涼み) Description: Three bijin in boat under Date: 1843-1846
(censor Muramatsu Genroku) Publisher: Ibaya Senzaburô |
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Another state of the above print |
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Series: Pleasures of
the Four Seasons (Shiki yûkan, 四季遊観) Robinson: Not listed Title: Autumn Description: Catching
Fireflies in the Cool of the Evening (Suzumi no hotaru) Date: 1843-1847 Publisher: Ibaya Senzaburô |
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Another state of the above print |
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Series: The Four
Seasons (四季之, Shiki no uchi) Robinson: 130 Title: Spring
Amusements at the Honorable Lower Palace (Go-shita-yashiki
haru no asobi) Description: Ladies among
the cherry blossoms in the palace garden, with two on a bench (left), three
looking at them (centre), and one leaning on a tree (right) Date: 1849-1852
(censors Publisher: Hamada-ya Tokubei |
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I am grateful to Robert Appleford for this
alternate state of the above design. |
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I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this night version of the above
design. |
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Title: Cherry
Blossoms at Night (夜の桜, Yoru no sakura) Description: A young girl
breaking a spray of cherry blossoms from a tree Date: c. 1846 Publisher: Yorozu-ya Jûbei |
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Title: Plum Blossoms
at Night (Yoru no ume, 夜乃梅) Description: Three women
by an old plum tree at night Date: 1845-6 Publisher: Iba-ya Sensaburô |
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I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this variant
of the above design. Note that the
seal of the carver (Hori Take, 彫竹) is in a different location on the left sheet. |
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Title: Plum Blossoms
in the Evening Snow (Tsumoru yo no ume, つもる夜の梅) Description: Three
beauties standing in front of a large snow-covered branch Date: 1846-1848
(censors Muramatsu and Yoshimura) Publisher: Fujioka-ya Keijirô |
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I am grateful to
Lucienne Parkan for this alternate state of the above design. |
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Title: None Description: Three women
collecting plum-blossom branches by candlelight Date: c. 1848 Publisher: Yorozu-ya
Kichibei |
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Title: Yamino yume Description: Three women
by an old plum tree at night, the robe of the figure on the right is
decorated with paulownia leaf crests, and that of the central figure with
images of Otsu-e Date: 1847-1850 Publisher: Kawaguchi-ya Uhei |
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Title: The First
Plum Blossoms of Spring (Ume no sakigake, 梅の魁) Description: Three women
in front of a flowering plum tree Date: 1847-1850 (censors
Mera and Murata) Publisher: Fujioka-ya Keijirô |
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Another state of the above design without any
purple |
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I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this keyblock
print for the above triptych. Note
that Kuniyoshi’s seal has not yet been carved, and there are no stripes on
the kimono. |
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Series: Five
Festivals (Go sekku
no uchi,
五節句之内睦月) Robinson: 166 Title: Mutsuki (the new year’s festival) Description: Women
celebrating the new year. In the
center is a large Daruma kite. Mount
Fuji covered with snow, new year pine-tree-decorations, casks of sake wrapped in straw coverings, all
indicate the season. There is a
signboard of the Mitsui store advertising sundry goods. Date: 1843-1846
(censor Muramatsu Genroku) Publisher: Enshû-ya Matabei |
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Title: The First
Time on a Boat in a Miniature Lake (Sensui fune johatsu, 泉水舟乗初) Description: Women and a
child rowing a small boat through a landscaped garden, watching koi in the water Date: 1846-1848
(censors Muramatsu and Yoshimura) Publisher: Enshû-ya Matabei |
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Date: c. 1833 Publisher: Yamaguchi-ya Tobei NOTE: The gold
coins really were oval |
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Title on each
sheet:
An Up-to-date Spring Scene (Tôsei haru geshiki,
當盛春景色) Description: Beautiful
women with a pleasure boat Date: c. 1829-1832 Publisher: Ômi-ya Heihachi |
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Another state of the above design |
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Original drawing for the right sheet of the
above triptych |
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Title: Catching Fireflies in the
Cool of the Evening (納涼蛍, Nôryô
hotaru) Description: Three women
and child catching fireflies Date: 1849-1852
(censors Hama and Magome) Publisher: Enshû-ya Hikobei |
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Another state of the above design published by Jôshû-ya Jûzô |
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Title: None Description: Three women
with view of Lake Omi (Omi hakkei) from Mt.
Heian Date: c. 1847 Publisher: Ebi-ya Rinnosuke I am grateful to Richard A. Waldman and The Art
of Japan for this image. |
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