Meiji prints
| Design: | Tsugumi Bihō (1868-1912) | |||||
| Print title: | Title page/Table of contents | |||||
| Album/series title: | Azuma Sugata (Images of the East) | |||||
| Size: | 21.2 x 30.0 cm (ōban) | |||||
| Original woodblock print | ||||||
| Photography: | Jacques Commandeur |
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Special effects: metallic pigments on the pine needles and cones at the bottom of the fan.
Published ca. Meiji 33 (1900) by Akiyama Buemon.
Name of the artist followed by the album name in the first two columns from the right:
| Character | Reading | Meaning | Translation |
| 鶫 | tsugumi | thrush | |
| 美 | bi | beautiful | |
| 宝 | hō | treasure | By the brush of |
| 筆 | hitsu | brush | Tsugumi Bihō |
| 東 | azuma | east | |
| す | su | ||
| が | ga | Images | |
| た | ta | image | of the East |
In the third column from the right is the word ‘Index’:
| Character | Reading | Meaning | Translation |
| 目 | moku | eye | |
| 録 | roku | record | Index |
Followed by the titles of the twelve prints in this album (from right to left):
| Character | Reading | Meaning | Translation |
| 御 | go | honorific prefix | |
| ら | ra | ||
| い | i | ||
| き | ki | ||
| や | ya | ||
| く | ku | visitor | A visitor |
| 琴 | koto | koto | |
| の | no | ’s | |
| ひ | hi | ||
| き | ki | ||
| そ | so | First koto playing | |
| め | me | first playing of the year | of the year |
| 汐 | shio | ||
| 干 | hi | low tide | |
| あ | a | ||
| そ | so | ||
| び | bi | playing | Shell gathering |
| す | su | ||
| が | ga | ||
| た | ta | ||
| み | mi | full-length mirror | Full-length mirror |
| 花 | hana | flower | |
| し | shi | ||
| よ | yo | ||
| う | u | ||
| ぶ | bu | iris | Irises |
| 半 | han | half | |
| 会 | kai | meet | |
| 席 | seki | location | Half a kaiseki* |
| ま | ma | ||
| す | su | full | |
| 月 | tsuki | moon | Full moon |
| は | ha | ||
| な | na | ||
| 火 | hi | fireworks | Fireworks |
| い | i | ||
| ぬ | nu | dog | |
| を | wo | ||
| あ | a | ||
| い | i | ||
| す | su | love | Loving the dog |
| よ | yo | ||
| み | mi | ||
| も | mo | ||
| の | no | reading matter | Reading matter |
| 茶 | cha | tea | |
| の | no | ’s | |
| ゆ | yu | hot water | Tea ceremony |
| ゆ | yu | ||
| き | ki | snow | |
| あ | a | ||
| が | ga | ||
| り | ri | after | After the snow |
Publisher’s firm name and red seal in last column from the right:
| Character | Reading | Meaning | Translation |
| 滑 | kotsu | slide | |
| 稽 | kei | think | |
| 堂 | dō | hall | |
| 拝 | hai | honorific | Kokkeidō |
The two kanji in the red seal read ‘Akiyama’, the name of the publisher.
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.
Provenance: Second-hand bookstore Sugimoto Ryoedo in Osaka.
*kaiseki is a set menu of select food served on an individual tray (one for each member of a gathering)