Miscellaneous Prints of Children,

Part I

Prints of children account for a small fraction of ukiyo-e prints.  Some of theses show karako (boys in ancient Chinese dress).  This genre includes the series listed as 65, 81, 109, 114, 116, 119, 123, 129, 132, 136, 138, 142, and 146 in Kuniyoshi by Basil William Robinson (Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 1961).  I am grateful to Ward Pieters for assisting with this section.

 

Series: Modern Children’s Games (Tôsei kodomo asobi)

Robinson: 119

Title: None

Size: Ôban (about 14 by 10 inches or 36 by 25 centimeters)

Description: Children with fans and umbrella

Date: c. 1835

Publisher: Ômi-ya Heihachi

 

 

Series: Modern Children’s Games (Tôsei kodomo asobi)

Robinson: 119

Title: None

Size: Ôban (about 14 by 10 inches or 36 by 25 centimeters)

Description:

Date: c. 1835

Publisher: Ômi-ya Heihachi

 

Series: Modern Children’s Games (Tôsei kodomo asobi)

Robinson: 119

Title: None

Size: Ôban (about 14 by 10 inches or 36 by 25 centimeters)

Description: Monkey dance

Date: c. 1835

Publisher: Ômi-ya Heihachi

 

I am grateful to Ward Pieters for locating this image.

 

Series: Modern Children’s Games (Tôsei kodomo asobi)

Robinson: 119

Title: None

Size: Ôban (about 14 by 10 inches or 36 by 25 centimeters)

Description:

Date: c. 1835

Publisher: Ômi-ya Heihachi

 

I am grateful to Ward Pieters for locating this image.

 

Series: Unidentified series of the five festivals

Robinson: Not listed

Title:

Size: Ôban (about 14 by 10 inches or 36 by 25 centimeters)

Description: Children with battledores

Date: 1842-1846

Publisher: Maru-ya Seijirô

 

Series: Unidentified series of the five festivals

Robinson: Not listed

Title:

Size: Ôban (about 14 by 10 inches or 36 by 25 centimeters)

Description:

Date: 1842-1846

Publisher: Maru-ya Seijirô

 

Series: Unidentified series of the five festivals

Robinson: Not listed

Title: Tango (May 5) Boys’ Day

Size: Ôban (about 14 by 10 inches or 36 by 25 centimeters)

Description:

Date: 1842-1846

Publisher: Maru-ya Seijirô

 

Series: Unidentified series of the five festivals

Robinson: Not listed

Title: Tanabata (七夕) Star Festival or Seventh Night on July 7

Size: Ôban (about 14 by 10 inches or 36 by 25 centimeters)

Description:

Date: 1842-1846

Publisher: Maru-ya Seijirô

 

Series: unidentified series of the five festivals

Robinson: Not listed

Title: The Chrysanthemum Festival (September 9)

Size: Ôban (about 14 by 10 inches or 36 by 25 centimeters)

Description: Children with chrysanthemums and fruit

Date: 1842-1846

Publisher: Maru-ya Seijirô

Series: Children’s Games (Kodomo asobi no uchi)

Robinson: 114

Title:

Size: Ôban (about 10 by 14 inches or 25 by 36 centimeters)

Description: Children playing in the snow with a snow Daruma (Japanese snowman)

Date: c. 1836

Publisher: Ise-ya Rihei

 

Image courtesy of Richard Illing

Series: Children’s Games (Kodomo asobi no uchi)

Robinson: 114

Title:

Size: Ôban (about 10 by 14 inches or 25 by 36 centimeters)

Description: children playing with kites and battledores

Date: c. 1836

Publisher: Ise-ya Rihei

Series: Children’s Games (Kodomo asobi no uchi)

Robinson: 114

Title:

Size: Ôban (about 10 by 14 inches or 25 by 36 centimeters)

Description: Children on the shore with fishing rods and climbing trees

Date: c. 1836

Publisher: Ise-ya Rihei

 

NOTE: This print is by Kuniyoshi’s student and daughter Yoshitora, but belongs to the same series.

Series: Children’s Games (Kodomo asobi no uchi)

Robinson: 114

Title:

Size: Ôban (about 10 by 14 inches or 25 by 36 centimeters)

Description: Children at play

Date: c. 1836

Publisher: Ise-ya Rihei

 

NOTE: This print is by Kuniyoshi’s student and daughter Yoshitora, but belongs to the same series.

Series: Children’s Dances (Kodomo odori)

Robinson: 123

Title:

Size: Ôban (about 10 by 14 inches or 25 by 36 centimeters)

Description: Children performing a scene from the kabuki play Tsumoru koi yukino seki no to (積恋雪関扉)

Date: c. 1841

Publisher: Izumi-ya Ichibei,

The above triptych is based on this kabuki scene, with children replacing the actors.

Actors: Ichikawa Saruzô I as Komachi hime (小町姫, left), Ichikawa Danjûrô VIII as seki Sekibei (関兵衛, center sheet), and Ichikawa Komazô VII as Munesada (宗貞, right)

Play: Tsumoru koi yukino seki no to (積恋雪関扉)

Date: 11th month of 1853

Theater: Nakamura

Publisher: Jôshû-ya Kinzô

Series: None

Robinson: This triptych is listed as T49 in Kuniyoshi: The Warrior-Prints by Basil William Robinson (Cornell University Press, Ithaca, NY, 1982)

Title: A Set of Heroic Children (Osanashi-dachi buyû soroi)

Size: Triptych with each panel about 14 by 10 inches (36 by 25 centimeters), a size know as ôban

Description: Below are the names of the thirty-six boys represented, each followed in parentheses by his adult name, or other information given on the print:

 

RIGHT-HAND SHEET

(right-hand edge, top to bottom): Tokuju Maru (Nitta Yoshioki), HakoMaru (Soga Gorô Tokimune), Ichiman Maru (Soga Jurô Sukenari), Aza Maru (Aku-shichibyôye Kagekiyo)

 

(middle): Shiragiku Maru (novice of Gwagôji), Uhyôye-no-suke Minamoto no Yoritomo (fifth son of Yoshitomo), Gorô Maru (Mimmaya no Shigemune)

 

(left-hand side): Juô Maru (Ôtomo no Sukune Kanamura), Onzôshi Tametomo (eighth son of Tameyoshi), Bijô Maru (son of Minamoto no Yorinobu, Kwaidô Maru (Sakata no Kintoki), Hyôzô (Tetsu Kôdzuke, son of a farmer of Echigo)

 

MIDDLE SHEET

(right-hand side): Kana-ishi Maru (Kudô Suketsune), Kôju Maru (son of Fujiwara no Nakamitsu), Wada Masatora (Genshû), Taira no Tomoakira (son of Tomomori), Oniwaka Maru (Musashi-bô Benkei)

 

(middle): Ushiwaka Maru (Kurô Hangwan Yoshitsune), Ariô Maru (page to Shunkwan), Chikudô Maru, Mukwan-no-tayû Atsumori (son of Sammi Tsunemori)

 

(left-hand side): Wakiya Yoshiharu (son of Yoshisuke and younger brother of Nitta Yoshisada) , Nagasaki Jirô (page to Hôjô Takatoki), Kusunoki Masatsura (eldest son of Masashige), KonMaru (Tosa-bô Shôshun)

 

LEFT-HAND SHEET

(right-hand side): Kikuô Maru (page to Nôto no Kami Noritsune), Sôma Kotarô Yoshikado (son of Masakado) , Kamakura Gongorô Kagemasa (page to Yoshiiye), The Rough Boy of Usui-tôge (Usui Sadamitsu)

 

(middle): Antoku Tennô, Tamon Maru (Kusunoki Masashige), Kojiro Nao-iye (son of Kumagaya Naozane)

 

(left-hand side): KomaMaru (Kiso Kwanja Yoshinaka), Hijiri Maru (page to Hioki Daizen), Kidô Maru (novice of Hiyeizan), Kichijô Maru (Ôtomo Yoshinao)

Date: c. 1839-1841

Publisher: Izumi-ya Ichibei

‘Robinson’ refers to listing of the series in Kuniyoshi by Basil William Robinson (Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 1961). 

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