Surimono of Women,
Part I
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The
first three series of prints have titles beginning with “Fûzoku onna Suikoden”. Each print in these three series likens a
beautiful woman to one of the heroes of the semi-historical Chinese novel,
Suikoden (Shuihu zhuan in
Chinese). The first series of five
prints may be placed side-by-side to form a pentaptych,
and the second series is listed as number 148 in Kuniyoshi by Basil William Robinson (Victoria and Albert Museum,
London, 1961). I am grateful to Ward
Pieters and Robert Pryor for their contributions to this section. |
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Series: Suikoden of
Women’s Customs from 108 Heroes: Salt gatherers (Fûzoku onna Suikoden ippyakuhachinin
no uchi: Shiokumi gobantsuzuki, 風俗女水滸傳壹百八人ノ内) Number on print: 1 Suikoden hero: Genshôshichi (阮小七,) Description: A beauty
gathering salt on the beach Size: Shikishiban
(about 8 by 7 inches or 21 by 18 centimeters) Printer: Surikô Shinzô (摺工 晉象) Date: c. 1830 Schaap: 2.a.1.1 NOTE: This series
of five surimono was designed for
the Taiko (Drum) club of kyôka poets. The
three poems on this print are by Kôrensha Tomoyoshi
(交連舎友好), Yamato
Watamori (倭和多守), and Shinjotei Sadamaru (身上亭 定丸).
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Another state without Surikô Shinzô’s seal |
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An additional state also lacking Surikô Shinzô’s seal |
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Series: Suikoden of
Women’s Customs from 108 Heroes: Salt gatherers (Fûzoku onna Suikoden ippyakuhachinin
no uchi: Shiokumi gobantsuzuki, 風俗女水滸傳壹百八人ノ内) Number on print: 2 Suikoden hero: Kishun (李俊) Description: A beauty with
two buckets of water on a yoke over her shoulders Size: Shikishiban
(about 8 by 7 inches or 21 by 18 centimeters) Printer: Surikô Shinzô (摺工 晉象) Date: c. 1830 Schaap: 2.a.1.2 Poet: Dôtei Tsukimaru (銅亭月丸) |
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An alternate state with a different
poem: Scoop up the sacred waters of Akô, where the holy rice fields meet the waves, and bear
them forth, true to the storied name of Harima-gata (播磨潟名に負はせつゝ汲わけよ赤穂に斎田なみのはなしほ) by Sekigentei Namio
(石原亭濤雄) |
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Another state without Surikô Shinzô’s seal and a poem
by Saiseitei Nanao (祭星亭七雄) |
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Series: Suikoden of
Women’s Customs from 108 Heroes: Salt gatherers (Fûzoku onna Suikoden ippyakuhachinin
no uchi: Shiokumi gobantsuzuki, 風俗女水滸傳壹百八人ノ内) Number on print: 3 Suikoden hero: Genshôni (阮小二) Description: A seated
beauty smoking a pipe with a basket at her side Size: Shikishiban
(about 8 by 7 inches or 21 by 18 centimeters) Printer: Surikô Shinzô (摺工 晉象) Date: c. 1830 Schaap: 2.a.1.3 Poems: 立のほる霞のけふり塩竃のふせ家のふしの春の長閑 by Irifunetei
Taki (入船亭多木) and 長閑さは 波の皷や 松風の 琴もしらへぬ 春の海原 by Housensha
Yûraku (宝船舎友乗) |
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Another state without Surikô Shinzô’s seal and with
poems by Dôtei Tsukimaru (銅亭月丸) and Fujinoya Hanabusa (藤迺屋花房) |
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Series: Suikoden of
Women’s Customs from 108 Heroes: Salt gatherers (Fûzoku onna Suikoden ippyakuhachinin
no uchi: Shiokumi gobantsuzuki, 風俗女水滸傳壹百八人ノ内) Number on print: 4 Suikoden hero: Chôô (張橫) Description: A beauty
drawing salt water in one of two buckets suspended from a yoke over her
shoulders Size: Shikishiban (about
8 by 7 inches or 21 by 18 centimeters) Printer: Surikô Shinzô (摺工 晉象) Date: c. 1830 Schaap: 2.a.1.4 NOTE: The poets are Wazuitei Shinbi (和醉亭真寐), Yamato
Watamori (倭和多守) and, the
club’s founder, Dondontei Wataru (鈍々亭和樽) |
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An alternate state in which the water
does not cover the woman’s ankles. |
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Series: Suikoden of Women’s
Customs from 108 Heroes: Salt gatherers (Fûzoku onna Suikoden ippyakuhachinin
no uchi: Shiokumi gobantsuzuki, 風俗女水滸傳壹百八人ノ内) Number on print: 5 Suikoden hero: Genshôgo
(阮小五) Description: A beauty with two
buckets on a yoke over her shoulders Size: Shikishiban (about 8 by 7
inches or 21 by 18 centimeters) Printer: Surikô Shinzô (摺工 晉象) Date: c. 1830 Schaap: 2.a.1.5 Poem: The first rays of
sunlight reflect on the water I draw, the spring dawn rising at the water’s
edge (汲いるゝ 汐に うつろふ 初日かけ 水きわの立 春の あけほの) by Washutei
Nomiyasu (和酒亭呑安) |
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An alternate state of the above design with a poem
by Wachôtei Suenaga (和調亭末永). |
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Another state with recut clouds, hair and kimono
pattern |
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An additional state without the straw skirt and
with the same recut clouds, hair and kimono pattern as the preceding
image |
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The five
designs above may be arranged as a pentaptych with
continuity of the shoreline and waves in background |
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Series: Suikoden of
Women’s Customs from 108 Sheets (Fûzoku onna Suikoden hyakuhachinin no uchi, 風俗女水滸傳百八番之内) Suikoden hero: Oteiroku (王定六) Description: A beauty
seated in a boat by the coast at Mitsumata Size: Shikishiban (about
8 by 7 inches or 21 by 18 centimeters) Printer: Surikô Shinzô (摺工 晉象) Date: c. 1829 Schaap: 2.a.2.1 Poems: 春風にゆれる柳のみつまたをよきるさまなる夕月の舟 by Hanamitei Tokiwa (花實亭常盤) and さゝの葉の舟乗りそむるその日より千代来／＼となく鴬の声 by Hisakataya Misora (久堅屋未曽良) |
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Another state without Surikô Shinzô’s seal |
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Series: Suikoden of
Women’s Customs from 108 Sheets (Fûzoku onna Suikoden hyakuhachinin no uchi, 風俗女水滸傳百八番之内) Suikoden hero: Roshungi Description: A beauty
smoking a pipe seated on an ox, which is led by a boy Size: Shikishiban
(about 8 by 7 inches or 21 by 18 centimeters) Printer: Surikô Shinzô (摺工 晉象) Date: c. 1829 Schaap: 2.a.2.2 Poems: よる浪のかたせ詣ふてやかたはみのもんをみせたる春の海つら by Gachoan Michitane (臥猪庵三千種) and はるの日の長閑につれて浜辺川牛のよたれの糸遊ふみゆ by Hisakataya (久堅屋) NOTE: This design suggests that this series was
published in 1829, which was the year of the ox. |
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Another state without Surikô Shinzô’s seal and with a
different pattern on the brown kimono trim |
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Series: Suikoden of
Women’s Customs from 108 Sheets (Fûzoku onna Suikoden hyakuhachinin no uchi, 風俗女水滸傳百八番之内) Suikoden hero: Kaei (花栄) Description: A beauty
leaned against a wall with a pipe in her hand Size: Shikishiban
(about 8 by 7 inches or 21 by 18 centimeters) Printer: Surikô Shinzô (摺工 晉象) Date: c. 1829 Schaap: 2.a.2.3 Poems: ふる里へ花の にしきの, きそはしめ, 万よしるゝろ 海ろかりかね by Hatsushimo Okimado (初霜起窓) and another
poem by Hisakataya (久堅屋) |
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Another state without Surikô Shinzô’s seal |
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Series: Suikoden of
Women’s Customs from 108 Sheets (Fûzoku onna Suikoden hyakuhachinin no uchi, 風俗女水滸傳百八番之内) Suikoden hero: Ensei (燕青) Description: A shirabyôshi
dancer in a white kimono wearing a
high court cap and holding an open fan Size: Shikishiban
(about 8 by 7 inches or 21 by 18 centimeters) Printer: Surikô Shinzô (摺工 晉象) Date: c. 1829 Schaap: 2.a.2.4 Poems: さなからにおくりし糸の観世水扇の凧の春の舞そめ by Amanoya Wakashiba (天の屋若芝) and 松はやし声をそろへて諷ふときかせに立舞ふ花の梅かゝ by Hisakataya (久堅屋) |
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Another state without Surikô Shinzô’s seal |
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“Schaap”
refers to listing in Heroes and Ghosts:
Japanese Prints by Kuniyoshi by Robert Schaap (Hotei Publishing, Leiden,
1998).
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