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Meiji prints

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	Design:	Tsugumi Bihō (1868-1912)
	Print title:	Gathering shells
	Album/series title:	Azuma Sugata (Images of the East)
	Size:	20.9 x 30.1 cm (ōban)
	Original woodblock print
	Photography:	Jacques Commandeur

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Enlargement

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Special effects: metallic pigments on obi of the two ladies; burnishing (sho-men-zuri) on their hair; embossed fabric printing (nuno-me-zuri) on the lady’s headscarf.

Published ca. Meiji 43 (1910) by Akiyama Buemon.

Artist’s name and red seal in left print area:

Character	Reading	Meaning	Translation
美	bi	beautiful
宝	hō	treasure	Bihō

Series title in violet cartouche in right margin:

Character	Reading	Meaning	Translation
東	azuma	east
す	su
が	ga		Images
た	ta	image	of the East

Publisher’s address and firm name (from right to left) in bottom margin:

Character	Reading	Meaning	Translation
東	tō	east
京	kyō	capital	Tokyo,
古	furu	old
日	nichi	sun
本	hon	origin	old
橋	hashi	bridge	Nihonbashi
區	ku	district	district,
室	muro	greenhouse
町	machi	quarter	Muro quarter,
三	san	three
丁	chō	house block
目	me	count suffix	3rd house block,
九	yū	nine
番	ban	number
地	chi	earth, land	number 9,
滑	kotsu	slide
稽	kei	think
堂	dō	temple	Kokkeidō

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References

• Merritt, Helen, and Yamada, Nanako (1992). Guide to Modern Japanese Woodblock Prints: 1900 - 1975. Honolulu: University of Hawai’i Press.

• Narazaki, Muneshige, ed. (1990). Ukiyo-e Masterpieces in Western collections. The Robert O. Muller Collection. Tokyo: Kodansha International.

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Provenance: Second-hand bookstore Sugimoto Ryoedo in Osaka.