Fan Prints of Humorous and Miscellaneous Subjects

Part III

 

Description: The Frog Battle of Yashima Bay (Yashima ura kaeru gassen, 八嶋浦蛙合戦)

Date: c. 1839

Publisher: Iba-ya Kyûbei

Title: A Collection of Comical Frogs of the Floating World (Ukiyo dôke kaeru zukushi, うきよどふけかへる尽)

Date: 1843-1846 (censor Kinugasa Fusajirô)

Publisher: Ise-ya Soemon

Kuniyoshi - (fan) Dyeing Fabrics in Different Colors (Sometsuku iro tsukushi), c

Title: Dyeing Fabrics in Different Colors (Sometsuku iro tsukushi, そめいろづくし)

Date: c. 1835

Publisher:

Title: Artistic Performance of Daruma-monks (Tôsei Daruma no gei zukushi)

Description: Five variations of Daruma: two squabbling women, two jugglers, and the actor Ichikawa Danjûrô VII as the aged Daruma, whose nose was so long that a thread, wound around his nose and one ear, would actually hold

Date: c. 1842

Publisher: Iba-ya Sensaburô

Series: Toys with Actors’ Expressions (Sono omokage moteasobi zukushi, 其俤もてあそびづくし)

Description: A lion dance mask (Nakayama Bungorô II), a Daruma doll (Ichikawa Ebizô V), a female doll with bare shoulders (Azuma Kitsunosuke), a horned owl doll (Ichikawa Kuzô II) and a fukigami doll (Nakamura Utaemon IV)

Date: 1842

Publisher: Iba-ya Kyûbei

 

NOTE: This print was an attempt to skirt the Tenpô reforms”, which banned prints of actors.  Although the title of this series is generally rendered in English as “Toys with Actors’ Faces”, the prints do not have any written reference to actors.  A more literal translation would be “A Collection of Toys with Phantom Faces”.  I am grateful to Robert Pryor for information about this print.

Kuniyoshi - (fan) Toys with Actor's Expressions; ca

Series: Toys with Actors’ Expressions (Sono omokage teasobi zukushi, 其俤てあそびづくし)

Description: Two toys performing a lion dance, a servant carrying a straw basket, a rabbit pounding mochi, a toy rabbit on wheels and a man roasting an eel

Date: 1842

Publisher: Iba-ya Kyûbei

Series: Toys with Actors’ Expressions (Sono omokage teasobi zukushi, 其俤てあそびづくし)

Description: In the upper row: Otafuku, a fox playing the samisen and a Tenjiku Tokube toy; in the lower row: a dog, a fox statue and a doll making fried tofu (dengaku)

Date: 1842

Publisher: Iba-ya Kyûbei

Kuniyoshi - (fan) Urashima & Otohime on an Octopus

Description: Urashima Tarô leading Otohime, who is riding on an octopus

Date:

Publisher: Echigo-ya  Chohachi

 

NOTE: Otohime is the daughter of Ryujin, dragon-god of the sea

Description: Women and children enjoying shadow pictures

Date: c. 1832-1844

Publisher: Iba-ya Kyûbei

Title: 猫の左仮

Description: Cats having a tea party

Date: c. 1845

Publisher:

Title: Takezawa’s Popular Comic Spinning Tops (Takezawa ryûkô dôke koma zoroi)

Description: A straw hat seller (kasaya), a mochi maker (tsukiya), a Shintô priest (kannushi), a wife (kamisan), a lady’s maid (gejo) and a water seller (mizuya) with heads depicted as tops (koma)

Date: 1842-1846 (censor Fukatsu Ihei)

Publisher: Maru-ya Seijirô

 

I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this image.

Title: The Competition of Longevity (Arittakezawa jumyô kurabe, ありつ竹沢寿命くらべ)

Description: From left to right: Kikujidô (the Chrysanthemum Boy), Tôbôsaku, Urashima Tarô and Miura Ôsuke are watching the famous top spinner (kyoku goma) Takezawa Tôji

Date: 1844

Publisher: Iba-ya Kyube

Title: Collection of Things with Names that End with “Men”

Description:

Date: c. 1839

Publisher: Ise-ya Soemon

 

NOTE: This print is signed Ichiyûsai hitsu (一勇斎 )

Title: Brushes with Make-up off the Beaten Path (Dogai kesho no tawamure, 道外化粧のたわむれ)

Subtitle: Fireworks (Hanabi, 花火)

Description: Animated cosmetic utensils watching fireworks on a river bank

Date: 1843-1846 (censor Muramatsu Genroku)

Publisher: Kojima-ya Jûbei

Title: Brushes with Make-up off the Beaten Path (Dogai kesho no tawamure, 道外化粧のたわむれ)

Subtitle: Omori (大森)

Description: Animated cosmetic utensils strolling on the seashore at Omori

Date: 1843-1846 (censor Muramatsu Genroku)

Publisher: Kojima-ya Jûbei

Title: None

Description: Figures on a blue ground forming spinning tops

Date:

Publisher: Iba-ya Senzaburô

Title: Kohinata Suidocho Teahouse in Harimaya (小日向水道町茶処播磨屋)

Description:

Date: 1860

Publisher: Koga-ya Katsugorô

NOTE: The publishers seal () appears in several places on the print.  I am grateful to Ward Pieters for locating this image.

Title: Caricatures of Iwafuji and O-Hatsu, and a Game of Toad-Tiger-Fox

Date: 1846-1848 (censors Muramatsu and Yoshimura)

Publisher: Ise-ya Sôemon

Description: Sparrows dressed as people

Date: c. 1843-1846

Publisher: Iba-ya Kyûbei

Title: Various Birds as Discount Merchants (Shochô yasuuri zukushi, 諸鳥やすうりづくし)

Description: Street vendors depicted as various birds

Date: c. 1842

Publisher: Iba-ya Sensaburô

Title: All Cheap Provisions (Shokurio ambai zukushi)

Description: Animals working in a restaurant

Date:

Publisher:

Series: One Hundred Follies of Sparrows (Suzume no hyakkyô, 雀の百狂)

Title: Bird Catcher (Tori sachi, 鳥さし) 

Description: Sparrows dressed as people catching a huge crow while the other sparrows are celebrating

Date: 1844-1846

Publisher: Iba-ya Kyûbei

Title: None

Description: A street at night in the Yoshiwara brothel district

Date: c. 1844

Publisher: Ise-ya Sôemon

Title: Raccoon Dog and Foxes at Play (Tanuki to kitsune no asobi, 狸ト狐の遊び)

Description: Raccoon dog and foxes having a picnic on the former’s giant scrotum

Date: c. 1842

Publisher: Suruga-ya Sakujirô

Title: Cat Kemari (Neko no kemari, 猫の曲まり)

Description: Cats playing the traditional Japanese game of kemari (football)

Date:  c. 1840-1842

Publisher:

Title: None

Description: Chrysanthemums under the moon

Date: c. 1830 

Publisher: Ise-ya Sôemon

55073

Title: None

Description: Three octopuses dancing and playing music

Date: 1839

Publisher: Maru-To

Title: None

Description: Two theatre barkers

Date: c. 1833

Publisher: Izuzen

 

NOTE: The kiwame censor’s seal is square, instead of the usual round shape.  I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this image.

 

“Robinson” refers to series number in Kuniyoshi by Basil William Robinson, 1961, Victoria and Albert Museum, London

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