Selection for the Twelve Signs
(Mitate jûnishi)
Various publishers
1845
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, various
historical and mythical figures are likened to the twelve animals of the
zodiac. A tiny image of the appropriate
animal may be found on the edge of the title cartouche. The prints in this series are each about 14
by 10 inches (36 by 25 centimeters), a size known as ôban.
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Sign: Rat
(子) Scene:
Yuki-hime clasping a sword Publisher:
Yebi-ya Rinnosuke Robinson:
S38.1 |
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Sign: Ox (丑) Scene:
Sakura Maru holding the rope of the imperial ox cart Publisher:
Iba-ya Sensaburô Robinson: S38.2 |
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Sign:
Tiger i (寅) Scene:
Soga Jurô Sukenari holding a fan and leaning on a palanquin Publisher:
Ise-ya Ichibe Robinson:
S38.3 NOTE: An |
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Another state of the above
print |
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Sign:
Tiger ii (寅) Scene:
Tora-gozen standing by a water cask, looking over her right shoulder and
holding a kettle Publisher:
Yenshû-ya Matabei Robinson:
S38.3a |
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Sign: Hare
(卯) Scene:
Yama-uba on Publisher:
Yenshû-ya Matabei Robinson:
S38.4 Image courtesy of Richard
Illing |
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Sign:
Dragon (辰) Scene:
Tatsuyasha-hime in a pine forest Publisher:
Kojima Robinson:
S38.5 |
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Sign:
Snake (巳) Scene:
O-Roku (even snakes were afraid of her) Publisher:
Iba-ya Kyûbei Robinson:
S38.6 |
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Sign:
Horse (午) Scene:
O-Miwa dancing on a bridge at the Atake Barrier in order to obtain passage Publisher:
Ise-ya Sôyemon Robinson:
S38.7 |
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Sign: Goat
(未) Scene:
O-Koma, daughter of Shirokiya Publisher:
Kojima Robinson:
S38.8 |
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Sign:
Monkey (申) Scene:
Yojirô, brother of the courtesan Otoshi, seated fan in hand by smoking fire
with refreshments before him Publisher:
Iba-ya Sensaburô Robinson:
S38.9 |
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Sign: Cock
(酉) Scene: Sumô wrestler Sukune Tarô under a
cherry tree Publisher:
Yenshû-ya Matabei Robinson:
S38.10 |
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Sign: Dog
i (戌) Scene: Sumô wrestler Inuda Kobungo wearing
garment decorated with puppies is referee for wrestling crabs Publisher:
Iba-ya Sensaburô Robinson:
S38.11 NOTE: The round
red seal in the right lower corner is a collector’s seal, applied by an owner
of the print. Although once common, this
practice is now condemned. |
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This is another state of
the above print. 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
bean-shaped cartouche 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. |
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Sign: Dog
ii (戌) Scene:
Shirai Gompachi by a lantern under a willow tree at night Publisher:
Yenshû-ya Matabei Robinson:
S38.11a |
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Sign: Boar
(亥) Scene: Yamamoto
Kansuke in the snow with a straw hat and a bamboo pole Publisher:
Iba-ya Kyûbei Robinson:
S38.12 |
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Another state of the above
print |
‘Robinson’ refers to listing in Kuniyoshi: The Warrior-Prints by Basil William Robinson (Cornell University Press, Ithaca, NY, 1982) and its unpublished supplement.
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