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JAPANESE PRINTS A MILLION QUESTIONS TWO MILLION MYSTERIES |
Ukiyo-e Prints浮世絵版画 |
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Port Townsend, Washington |
| UTAGAWA TOYOKUNI I | ||
| 歌川豊国 | ||
| うたがわとよくに | ||
| 1769-1825 | ||
| Play: Kanadehon Chushingura | ||
| 仮名手本忠臣蔵 | ||
| かなでほんちゅうしんぐら | ||
| Actors | ||
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Bandō Hikosaburō III (1751-1828) as Yuranosuke (standing) |
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| 坂東彦三郎 as 由良之介 | ||
| ばんどひこさぶろう as ゆらのすけ | ||
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Sawamura Tanosuke II (1788-1817) as the courtesan Okaru (seated) |
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| 澤村田之助 as おかる | ||
| さわむらたのすけ as おかる | ||
| Date: 1811, 7th Month | ||
| Bunka 8 | ||
| 文化8 | ||
| Signed: Toyokuni ga | ||
| Publisher: Iseya Rihei | ||
| 版元名: 伊勢屋利兵衛 | ||
| はんもとな: いせやりへえ | ||
| $920.00 |
Above is a detail of Bando Hikosaburo III.
Notice the difference in this detail and the coloration of the whole print shown above.
This image is the truer one and shows how much I have learned since I first posted this page.
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SIGNATURE: Toyokuni ga |
Above is a detail of Sawamura Tanosuke II.
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坂 東 彦 三 郎 |
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澤 村 田 之 助 |
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極 |
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Kiwame Seal* |
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Bando Hikosaburo as Yuranosuke |
Sawamura Tanosuke as Okaru |
"Kiwame" means thoroughly inspected |
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According to Jan van Doesburg in his What About Kunisada? (p. 134) this is a special gyōji seal which generally would have only appeared from 1811-14. These seals were used by publishers chosen by the government to act as censors. This is the one for Iga (Igaya Kanemon). |
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Publisher's Seal: Iseya Rihei |
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| Detail of the backside. |
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*The Kiwame is the most commonly seen censor's seal on Japanese prints and appears from 1790 to ca. 1842.
This poses a particular problem for new collectors and beginning connoisseurs alike. The kiwame alone does not allow the viewer to know the specific date of any image. However, there are other cues: Identifying specific actors and their career dates; performance dates of plays; knowing the terminus ante quem of such things as an artist's death date; and recognizing the stylistic changes within the oeuvre of an individual artists. This is less a science than an art.
Determining dates using the kiwame is by necessity subjective and relies on exerience and exposure. Even the greatest Rembrandt experts haven't always agreed on the fine points of his prints. Keep this in mind if ever you run across the same image in two different shops or books where there are different dates displayed. Naturally, one will be closer to the truth. My job is to figure out which one. |
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Direct purchase may be made through check or money order or by payment through PayPal by clicking on the links below. |
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