Miscellaneous series of beautiful women, Part I

 

Prints of beautiful women (bijin) are known as bijin-ga.  These prints are each about 14 by 10 inches (36 by 25 centimeters), a size known as ôban.  I am grateful to Ward Pieters for assisting with this section.

 

Series: Series of Famous Views of the Provinces Illustrated (Shokoku meisho zusho, 諸国名所図書)

Robinson: 1

Province: Kanazawa with a view of Soshin inset

Description: Beauty cooling off with a fan

Date: c. 1830

Publisher: Shimizu-ya

 

NOTE: A prints, such as this, that is printed entirely or primarily in blue is known as an aizuri-e.

 

Series: Series of Famous Views of the Provinces Illustrated (Shokoku meisho zusho, 諸国名所図書)

Robinson: 1

Province: 

Description: Beauty with pipe reading

Date: c. 1830

Publisher: Shimizu-ya

 

Series: Series of Famous Views of the Provinces Illustrated (Shokoku meisho zusho, 諸国名所図書)

Robinson: 1

Province: Sumidagawa (隅田川)

Description: Standing geisha with inset of Sumida River

Date: c. 1830

Publisher: Shimizu-ya

 

Series: Moonlight Views of the Eastern Capital (Tôto tsuki no meisho)

Robinson: 87

Title: Moon at Ryôgoku Bridge (Ryôgoku no tsuki)

Description: Beauty with cat

Date: c. 1840

Publisher: Kawachi-ya Chôzô

 

 

 

Another state of the above print

 

Series: Moonlight Views of the Eastern Capital (Tôto tsuki no meisho)

Robinson: 87

Title:

Description: Courtesan on parade in her Spring finery with a view of the Sumidagawa behind her

Date: c. 1840

Publisher: Kawachi-ya Chôzô

 

 

 

Series: Modern Five Qualities (Imayô go-sei)

Robinson: 89

Title:

Description: The boy has discovered a potted plant that resembles the part of the weaving harness which his mother can use to lift or lower the warps with her big toe. This toe is called “piglet” in Japanese, which explains the inset pig head

Date: c. 1833

Publisher: Ômi-ya Heihachi

 

Series: Fashionable Register of Dyed-stuffs (Ryûkô o-somemono chô, 流行御染物悵)

Robinson: 90

Title: Fukagawa nezumi (深川鼡)

Description: Beauty trying on a kimono

Date: c. 1834

Publisher: No seal

Series: Fashionable Register of Dyed-stuffs (Ryûkô o-somemono chô, 流行御染物悵)

Robinson: 90

Title: Special tea (Ririn cha, 利林 )

Description: Beauty carrying a tray of teacups toward a table with birds on the floor around her feet

Date: c. 1834

Publisher: No seal

 

NOTE: The inscription “Yamakichi, No. 1 Hongin-chô” has been added to the main cartouche. This is an advertisement for the dyed-stuffs business run by Kuniyoshi’s father, Yanagi-ya Kichiemon, at No. 1, Hongin-chô.

 

Series: Brother Pictures: A Select Comparison of Warriors (Ekyôdai mitate musha awase, 繪兄弟見立武者合)

Title: Fish market (Uoichi, 魚市), Humility (Taninobu, 渓信)

Robinson: 91

Description: A child crawling through its mother's legs at a fish market compared to the virtue of humility in inset

Date: c. 1834

Publisher: No seal

 

Series: Brother Pictures: A Select Comparison of Warriors (Ekyôdai mitate musha awase, 繪兄弟見立武者合)

Title:

Robinson: 91

Description: Beauty on a staircase

Date: c. 1834

Publisher: No seal

 

Series: Comparison of Poems (Shi-ka-kyô uta awase)

Robinson: 94

Description:

Date: c. 1841

Publisher: Arita-ya Seiemon

 

Series: Comparison of Poems (Shi-ka-kyô uta awase)

Robinson: 149 (a variant of No. 94 above)

Description:

Date: c. 1841

Publisher: Arita-ya Seiemon

 

Series: Comparison of Poems (Shi-ka-kyô uta awase)

Robinson: 149 (a variant of No. 94 above)

Description:

Date: c. 1841

Publisher: Arita-ya Seiemon

 

Series: Beauties Mirrored in the Forms of Flowers (Sugata hana bijin kagami)

Robinson: 96

Title:

Description: Study of the courtesan Toyo-oka from the house of Okamoto-ya

Date: ca. 1836

Publisher: Kawaguchi-ya Chôzô

 

 

Series: Fashionable Choice of Six Flowers (Furyû rok’ kwa sen)

Robinson: 101

Title:

Description:

Date: ca. 1843

Publisher:

 

I am grateful to Marc Devriese for this image.

 

Series: Eighty Forms of “Brother Pictures” (E-kyôdai yaso sugata)

Robinson: 104

Description: Benkei’s ritual dance before the meal

Date: c. 1845

Publisher:

 

Series: Eighty Forms of “Brother Pictures” (E-kyôdai yaso sugata)

Robinson: 104

Description:

Date: c. 1845

Publisher:

 

Series: Famous Views of Edo Mirrored by Beautiful Girls (Edo meisho bijin kagami, 江戸名所美人鏡)

Robinson: 144

Title: Mukôjima (向島)

Description:

Date: c. 1833

Publisher: Izumi-ya Ichibei 

 

Series: Famous Views of Edo Mirrored by Beautiful Girls (Edo meisho bijin kagami, 江戸名所美人鏡)

Robinson: 144

Title:

Description:

Date: c. 1833

Publisher: Izumi-ya Ichibei

 

 

Series: Modern Comparison of Beauties (Tôsei bijin awase)

Robinson: Not listed, but another series having the same title is listed as number 154

Title:

Description:

Date:

Publisher: Yamaguchi-ya Tobei

 

 

 

 

Series: Amusing Select Comparisons of Birds and Trees (Tawamure mitate chô-mokuawase)

Robinson: 158

Title:

Description: Beauty with cat; human hand with wings in inset

Date: c. 1845

Publisher: Tsu (phonetic pronunciation of )

 

 

Series: Gems of Modern Customs (Bigyoku imayô fûzoku, 美玉時世風俗) 

Robinson: 160

Title:

Description: Woman wringing out a cloth whilst holding the sleeve of her robe in her teeth

Date: c. 1850

Publisher: Wakasa-ya Yoichi

 

 

 

Series: Gems of Modern Customs (Bigyoku imayô fûzoku, 美玉時世風俗) 

Robinson: 160

Title:

Description: Woman in a blue kimono decorated with shells looking over her shoulder

Date: c. 1850

Publisher: Wakasa-ya Yoichi

 

 

Series: Gems of Modern Customs (Bigyoku imayô fûzoku, 美玉時世風俗) 

Robinson: 160

Title:

Description:

Date: c. 1850

Publisher: Wakasa-ya Yoichi

 

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

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