Stories of Wise Women and Faithful Wives, Part I

(Kenjo reppuden)

Publisher: Iba-ya Sensaburô

c. 1841-1842

The prints in this series are each about 14 by 10 inches (36 by 25 centimeters), a size known as ôban.

 

Description: Anju-hime carrying water buckets with chidori (wave-birds) flying above her

Robinson: S20.1

 

Description: Chiyo of Kaga at a well carrying a bucket

Robinson: S20.2

 

Image courtesy of Richard Illing

 

 

This state of the above print is a less labor intensive printing, which almost invariably means a later edition.  The wooden block for the orange clouds was not used, and the green shading (bokashi) representing grass 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.

 

 

Description: Shirabyôshi dancers Giô and Ginyo collecting flowers after their retirement as nuns

Robinson: S20.3

 

Another state of the above print

 

Description: Go-ô-hime holding a folded paper and a spray of blossoms

Robinson: S20.4

 

Description: Hangaku-jo wearing a hair band and kimono over armor

Robinson: S20.5

 

Description: Hatsu-jo drinking from a dipper at a garden tank in a shower of rain

Robinson: S20.6

 

This is a less labor-intensive printing of the above design, which almost invariably means a later edition.  The woodblock used to print dark blue on the garden tank and in the text cartouche was omitted.

 

Description: Hatsu-hana in prayer under the Gongen Waterfall which resulted in the cure of her crippled husband

Robinson: S20.7

 

 

Description: Hotoke-gozen reading a poem on a soji screen with the aid of a lantern

Robinson: S20.8

 

Description: Hyakuman of Nara, dancing with a fan and pulling a small cart full of toys, watched by her bewildered child

Robinson: S20.9

 

 

 

Description: Izumi-shikibu on a visit to Kamo Shrine

Robinson: S20.10

 

Description: Idzutsu-hime seated by a brazier

Robinson: S20.11

 

 

Description: Jôruri-hime standing under a lamp bedecked with streamers

Robinson: S20.12

 

Description: Kaji of Gion seated on a bench with her fan and writing brushes

Robinson: S20.13

 

Description: Strong woman Kane-jo holding a horse

Robinson: S20.14

 

Description: Lady Kesa-gozen cutting her hair so that she may impersonate her husband and be killed in his place

Robinson: S20.15

 

 

Description: Masaoka shielding Tsugichiyo Maru under her clothes from the apparition of an old warrior-monk

Robinson: S20.16

‘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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