Selection for the Twelve Signs

(Mitate jûnishi no uchi)

Publisher: Kadomoto-ya Kinjirô (Kadokin)

1852

The Buddhist zodiac consists of twelve animals–rat, bull (or ox), tiger, hare, dragon, serpent, horse, goat, monkey, cock, dog and boar. There is a story that only these twelve animals came when called by Buddha, and this is the order in which they came. These animals, including the rat and serpent, have a better reputation in Buddhist countries than in the West. In this series of prints, a large bust portrait of an actor in character is combined with a smaller full-length portrait of another actor from the same play. Tiny images of the appropriate animal of the zodiac surround an irregularly shaped title cartouche in the right upper corner of ten of the twelve prints. This series is listed as number 192 in Kuniyoshi by Basil William Robinson (Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 1961). The prints are each about 14 by 10 inches (36 by 25 centimeters), a size known as ôban.

Sign: Rat (子)

Foreground bust: Ichikawa Ebizô V as Nikki Danjo

Smaller figure: Ichikawa Danjûrô VIII as Arajishi Otokonosuke

Play: Date kurabe okuni kabuki

Sign: Ox (丑)

Foreground bust: actor as Kumeno Heiemon in the dress of incantation with candles on his head, a mirror breastplate and a hammer (nails and a straw doll, although usually part of incantation, are not shown)

Smaller figure: actor as Matsuwaka Maru

Sign: Tiger (寅)

Foreground bust: actor as Torafuji

Smaller figure:

Sign: Hare (卯)

Foreground bust: actor as Ko-San holding a letter

Smaller figure: actor as Kingoro

Sign: Dragon (辰)

Foreground bust: actor Segawa Kikunojô V as Ohatsu

Smaller figure: actor Bandô Mitsugorô III

Play: Ohatsu Tokubei, a tale of doomed lovers

Sign: Snake (巳)

Foreground bust: Ichikawa Kodanji as Karaki Masaemon

Smaller figure: Kataoka Ichizô as Sawai Matagorô

Play: Sono umayagi Sagara no Kikigaki

Sign: Horse (午)

Foreground bust: actor as Tatsu Yasharamon holding a naginata

Smaller figure:

Sign: Goat (未)

Foreground bust: actor as courtesan Akoya

Smaller figure: actor as Iwanaga Souren by a brazier

Sign: Monkey (申)

Foreground bust: Iwai Hanshirô V as the nun Seigen-ni

Smaller figure: Onoe Kikugorô III as Sarushima Sota

Play: Onna Seigen

Sign: Cock (酉)

Foreground bust: Ichikawa Danjûrô VIII as Mongaku Shônin pulling a rope

Smaller figure: actor as the Buddhist deity Fudô Myô-ô in front the Nachi Waterfall

Play: A number of plays were derived from the story of Mongaku Shônin. He is shown here seeing the Buddhist deity Fudô Myô-ô while reciting prayers under the icy waterfall of Nachi in penance for accidentally killing his lover, Kesa-gozen.

Sign: Dog (戌)

Foreground bust: actor Ichikawa Danjûrô VIII as Kamiya Iyemon

Smaller figure: actor Ichikawa Hirogorô as Akiyama Chobei

Sign: Boar (亥)

Foreground bust: actor as Inosuke holding a toothbrush

Smaller figure:

This is one of several series of prints Kuniyoshi designed consisting of bust portraits with irregularly shaped cartouches in the right upper corner. In each of these series, the cartouche is bordered by small pictures. The table below shows a typical cartouche from each of these series as well as the script within the cartouche that identifies the series. The color of the cartouches is not a reliable guide to identifying the series, as it may vary with successive printings.

		English title: Mirror of the Loyal Courage of the Faithful Retainers Japanese title: Chûshin giyû kagami Description: Bust of an actor as one of the Forty-seven Rônin with a landscape background
		English title: Famous Views of Edo Selected for the Twelve Months Japanese title: Edo meisho mitate jû-ni ka gwatsu no uchi Description: Bust of actor with landscape in upper half of print above a stylized cloud
		English title: Selection for the Twelve Signs Japanese title: Mitate jûnishi no uchi Description: Bust of an actor with a full-length figure of another actor in a landscape as a background
		English title: Set of Views of Fuji from Edo in Iroha Order Japanese title: Nanatsu iroha Tôto Fuji zukushi Description: Actor’s bust with landscape showing Mount Fuji inserter in the left upper corner
		English title: Celebrated Products of Mountains and Seas Japanese title: Sankai medetai zue Description: Bust of beautiful woman with insert of landscape showing provincial industry in left upper corner NOTE: Various scripts were used in this series, but the two kanji shown at left are most consistent
		English title: Thirty-six Fashionable Restaurants of the Eastern Capital Japanese title: Tôto ryûkô san-jû-rokkwaiseki Description: Bust of actor with restaurant in background
		English title: Military Brilliance for the Eight Views Japanese title: Yôbu hakkei Description: Bust of a military hero in a landscape

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