Curiously Named Odd Faces Denoting the Fifty-three Stations

(Myôna isô kyôchû go-jû-san tsura, 妙名異相胸中五十三面)

Publisher: Sugi-ya Seibei

1847-1850

This series of prints is listed as number 216 in Kuniyoshi by Basil William Robinson (Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 1961). The prints are each about 14 by 10 inches (36 by 25 centimeters), a size known as ôban. I am grateful to Robert Pryor for his contributions to this series. 

Censors: Mera and Murata

掛川	日坂	金谷
浜松	見附	袋井

Censors: Mera and Murata

丸子	府中	江尻
嶋田	丸子	丸子

This state of the above design is lacking the series title, and has different publisher’s and censor’s seals. Each of the six looks ends in “Crystal River” (no Tamagawa, の玉川), suggesting that this is an earlier six Crystal Rivers parody repurposed later.

Censors: Hama and Kinugasa

川崎 かほさき	品川 へのかほ	日本橋 二本出し
戸塚 とつけ	程ヶ谷 ほとがほ	神奈川 はながほ

This image is identical to the preceding print except for the presence of Kuniyoshi’s kiri seal in the left lower corner.

Censors: Mera and Murata

吉原 むしばら	原 へら	沼津 なまづ
興津 ふきつ	由井 よい	蒲原 へんばら

Censors: Hama and Kinugasa

大磯 おゝいた	平塚 ひらつら	藤澤 おぢさま
三嶋 としま	箱根 よこね	小田原 むだばら

This image is almost identical to the preceding print except for the presence of Kuniyoshi’s kiri seal in the top center image.

“Robinson” indicates listing in Kuniyoshi by Basil William Robinson (Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 1961).

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