Fan Prints of Humorous and
Miscellaneous Subjects
Part
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 |
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 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. |
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 |
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 筆) |
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 |
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 CLICK HERE TO
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