Mirror of Women of Wisdom and Courage

(Kenyû fujo kagami, 賢勇婦女鏡)

Publishers: Takahashi-ya Takakichi and Arita-ya Seiemon

c. 1844

Each print in this series shows the head and shoulders of a woman from history or legend inside a circle surrounded by a different flower on each print. The prints are each about 14 by 10 inches (36 by 25 centimeters), a size known as ôban.

	Woman: Chiyo-jo (千代女) Flower: Morning glory Publisher: Takahashi-ya Takakichi Robinson: S29.1
	Woman: Chûjô-hime (中将姫) holding the two ends of a string game or puzzle against a background of brocade with a waterwheel design Flower: Lotus Publisher: Takahashi-ya Takakichi Robinson: S29.2
	Woman: Hanjo Gozen (班女御前) with a bamboo branch over her shoulder, to which a fan is attached Flower: Cherry blossoms Publisher: Takahashi-ya Takakichi Robinson: S29.3
	Woman: Kaji of Gion (祇園梶) holding a fan (uchiwa) to her mouth Flower: Convolvulus Publisher: Takahashi-ya Takakichi Robinson: S29.4
	Woman: O-Kane (Kane-jo), the strong woman of Ômi Province (近江金女) carrying a tub of laundry Flower: Pinks Publisher: Takahashi-ya Takakichi Robinson: S29.5
	Woman: Matsushima no Tsubone (松島局) with a writing brush in her mouth examining a bundle rolled in fabric Flower: Tiger lilies Publisher: Arita-ya Seiemon Robinson: S29.6
	I am grateful to Lucienne Parkan for this alternate state of the above design.
	Woman: Ôkio (大井子) striking a flint with a pipe in her mouth Flower: Irises Publisher: Takahashi-ya Takakichi Robinson: S29.7 I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this image.
	The same design as above, but the publisher is Arita-ya Seiemon
	This print has the seals of both publishers―Takahashi-ya Takakichi and Arita-ya Seiemon
	Woman: The great poetess, Ono no Komachi (小野小町), holding a poem and a fan under an umbrella Flower: Peonies Publisher: Takahashi-ya Takakichi Robinson: S29.8
	Another state of the above print also published by Takahashi-ya Takakichi
	Woman: Tokiwa Gozen (常盤御前) in the snow sheltering her children under her hat Flower: Camellias Publisher: Takahashi-ya Takakichi Robinson: S29.9 I am grateful to Lucienne Parkan for this image.
	Another state of the above design. It is a less labor-intensive printing than the above, which almost invariably means a later edition. In this print, the delicate shading (bokashi) in the rectangular cartouche in the right upper corner was omitted. Bokashi was achieved by hand applying a gradation of ink to the wooden printing block rather than inking the block uniformly. This hand-application had to be repeated for each sheet of paper that was printed.
	Woman: Tomoe Gozen (巴女), mistress of Kiso Yoshinaka, holding his helmet Flower: Publisher: Takahashi-ya Takakichi Robinson: S29.10

“Robinson” refers to listing in Kuniyoshi: The Warrior-Prints by Basil William Robinson (Cornell University Press, Ithaca, NY, 1982) and its privately published supplement.

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