Triptychs and diptychs of
beautiful women,
Part V
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Title: Notes on
Women’s Conduct (Fujin kokoro-e gusa, 婦人こころへ草) Subtitle: Stretching
Fabrics (Orimono,
をりもの) Description: Four serving-women
washing sash and stretching it out to dry; with child playing in background Date: c. 1842 Publisher: Maru-ya Seijirô NOTE: From time to
time, the authorities decided ukiyo-e prints were too frivolous. One such time was in 1842, and many artists
temporarily responded by turning their beautiful women into models of the
virtue. Here, serving-women are
washing an obi (sash) and
stretching it out to dry. The
inscription, printed over a repeating textile pattern, observes that this is
better than buying new ones. |
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Another state of the above design, most obvious
in the fabric worn by the squatting woman in the center sheet |
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Another state with a simplified background |
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Title: Snow, Moon
and Flowers in Our Midst (Yuki tsuki hana no uchi, 雪月花の内) Subtitle: Early Morning
Snow (Yuki no ashita,
雪の朝) Description: Bijin on
veranda with snow covered pine trees Date: 1847-1848
(censors Muramatsu and Yoshimura) Publisher: Iba-ya Sensaburô |
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Title: Cherry
Blossoms at Night on the Banks of the Sumida River (Sumidagawa
no yozakura, すみ田川の夕桜) Description: Three women
under a blossoming cherry tree Date: 1843-1846
(censor Muramatsu Genroku) Publisher: Han (phonetic
reading of 半) |
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I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this alternate
state. |
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Title: Description: Women on a
pleasure boat Date: c. 1918-1927 Publisher: Azuma-ya Daisuke These are two sheets from a triptych, or
possibly a larger polyptych. I am
grateful to Dominique Droniou for these images. |
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Title: Beauties
Enjoying Themselves in the Garden (美人庭遊び, Bijin niwa asobi) Description: Date: 1850-1851
(censors Hama and Magome with inverter aratame
seal) Publisher: Wakasa-ya Yoichi NOTE: This triptych and
the following triptych may be placed side-by-side to form a six-sheet
composition. The first edition was
published by Sumiyoshi-ya Masagorô, and a later edition bears the seal of the
publisher Wakasa-ya Yoichi. |
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Title: Boating in
the Chinese Style (准漢舩遊び, Jukan Funa Asobi) Description: Date: 1847-1850
(censors Mera and Murata) Publisher: Sumiyoshi-ya Masagorô |
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Title: Festivities
on the Bank of the Miyato River (Miyatogawa kishi no nigiwai, 宮戸川岸の賑ひ) Description: Three beauties
with boy on a river bank Date: 11th
month of 1855 Publisher: Enshû-ya Hikobei |
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Another state of the above design |
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I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this state with
unpaterned clothing in the right panel. |
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Title: Gathering
Plants in the Palace Garden (奥庭の摘草, Oku niwa no tsumigusa) Description: Seven
beautiful women picking flowers Date: 1847-1848
(censors Hama and Kinugasa) Publisher: Fujioka-ya Keijirô |
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Another state of the above design |
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Title: Picture of a
Wedding Ceremony (Konrei no zu) Description: The bride is
being helped out of a lacquered palanquin for the marriage ceremony Date: 1847-50 Publisher: Hayashi-ya Shôgorô |
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Title: The Bride Changing
Clothes after the Wedding Ceremony (Konrei
ironaoshi no zu, 婚礼色直し之図) Description: Women
preparing for a wedding ceremony, with a large candle before a screen at the
left and hanging garments at the right Date: 1843-1846
(censor Hama Yahei) Publisher: Izumi-ya Ichibei NOTE: The design of the above triptych was copied from
this triptych by Utamaro:
I am grateful to Lucienne Parkan and
Robert Pryor for information about this triptych. |
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I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this alternate
state of the above design. |
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Series: Series of Womenʼs Ceremonies Title: Wedding
Ceremony (Konrei) Description: Three women
preparing the bride (in pink) for the wedding ceremony Date: 1843 (censor
Tanaka Heishirô) Publisher: Jôshû-ya Kinzô |
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I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this alternate state of the
above design. |
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Title: Ise Dance (Ise odori, いせおんど) Description: Dancers at a
teahouse in Furnichi near Ise performing the Ise
Ondo (Ise dance), holding fans, with hanging and standing lanterns Date: 6th
month of 1854 Publisher: Each sheet
has the seals of both Mikawa-ya Kihei and
Yamaguchi-ya Tôbei NOTE: The fans are
decorated with Genji-mon (set of 54 rectilinear
heraldic devices, each representing one of the chapters of the romance of
Prince Genji) |
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An aizuri-e (printed entirely or primarily in
blue) state of the preceding triptych |
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Title: Description: Date: 1846-1852 Publisher: Probably Ebi-ya Rinnosuke |
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Title: None Description: Beauties
dancing on a balcony Date: 7th
month of 1854 Publisher: Each sheet
bears seals of both Yamaguchi-ya Tôbei and Mikawa-ya Kihei I am grateful to Jesper Heine
for this image. |
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Title: Ise Dance (Ise odori, いせおんど) Description: Beauties
dancing Date: 6th
month of 1854 Publisher: Each sheet
bears seals of both Yamaguchi-ya Tôbei and Mikawa-ya Kihei NOTE: This is a diptych consisting of two ôban
sheets, each about 10 by 14 inches (25 by 36 centimeters). I am grateful to Robert Pryor for this
image. |
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Title: None Description: Three
beauties under blossoming trees Date: c. 1842-1843
(censor’s seal not read)
Publisher: Masuda-ya Ginjirô |
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