JAPANESE PRINTS
A MILLION QUESTIONS
TWO MILLION MYSTERIES
Ukiyo-e Prints浮世絵版画 |
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Port Townsend, Washington |
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UTAGAWA KUNISADA |
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歌川国貞 |
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うたがわくにさだ |
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1786-1865 |
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Series: "Seven Contemporary Beauties" |
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當世美人七小町
"Tōsei bijin... Nana Komachi" |
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Subject: Amagoi Komachi (i.e., rain-prayer Komachi) |
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雨乞小町 |
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あまごい.こまち |
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Publisher: Kawaguchiya Uhei |
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川口屋卯兵 |
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かわぐちやうへい |
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Date: Ca. 1825-30 |
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Signed: Gototei Kunisada ga |
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署名: 五渡亭国貞画 |
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しょめい: ごとていくにさだが |
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Size: 15 3/16" 10 1/4" |
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Illustrated on-line: There is another copy of this print in the collection of the Hagi Uragami Museum. There is also a copy in the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. |
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$1,400.00 |
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Hako-makura Box pillow 箱枕 はこまくら |
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| Publisher: Kawaguchiya Uhei | ||||
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View of the backside of the print seen above. |
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| Kiwame seal used between ca. 1790 and 1842. | ||||
| Ono の Komachi |
| 小野小町 |
| おののこまち |
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| ことわりや |
| Kotowariya |
| 日の本ならば |
| hi no moto naraba |
| 照りもせめ |
| teri mo sen |
| さりとてはまた |
| saritote wa mata |
| あめが下とは |
| ame ga shita to wa |
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Sebastian Izzard notes that this poem attributed to the 9th century poet Ono no Komachi is an expression of the power of her poetry. She has written that the sun-beaten land is also that same land where rain must fall. Komachi's poem is credited with ending a long drought. Izzard also points out her popularity in ukiyo-e and illustrates this with a different print by Kunisada from ca. 1818-20 called "A Parody of the 'Invoking the Rain' Episode." |
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THIS IS OLD HAT TO THOSE IN THE KNOW. |
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Anyone who has had a fair amount of experience with Japanese prints knows that one of the ways prints can be identified as coming from a particular series is the title cartouche or possibly by the use of other repetitious motifs. This is nothing new to the majority of collectors, but for those of you who would consider yourselves novices this can be quite a revelation. Below is a detail of a small inset which can be found on another print from this series. It speaks for itself. |
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Direct purchase may be
made through check or money order |
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