Meiji prints
| Design: | Yōshū Chikanobu (1838-1912) | |||||
| Print title: | Visiting a shrine | |||||
| Album/series title: | Azuma Fūzoku (Customs of the East) | |||||
| Size: | 21.1 x 30.2 cm (ōban) | |||||
| Original woodblock print | ||||||
| Photography: | Jacques Commandeur |
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Special effects: silver metallic pigments on the hair ornament of the girl on the left and on the obi of the lady on the right.
Artist’s signature in the bottom right print area:
| Character | Reading | Meaning | Translation |
| 楊 | yō | leaf | |
| 洲 | shū | discipline | |
| 周 | chika | circumference | |
| 延 | nobu | prolong | Yōshū Chikanobu |
Series/album title and print number in the orange cartouche in the right margin of the print:
| Character | Reading | Meaning | Translation |
| 安 | an | peace | |
| 津 | tsu | harbor, ferry | |
| 末 | matsu | end | |
| 風 | fū | style | |
| 俗 | zoku | customs | Customs of the East, |
| 十 | jū | ten | |
| 一 | ichi | one | number eleven |
Printing and publishing date in left margin:
| Character | Reading | Meaning | Translation |
| 明 | mei | light | Printed in the |
| 治 | ji | government | Meiji era, |
| 三 | san | three | |
| 十 | jū | ten | |
| 四 | shi | four | |
| 年 | nen | year | the 34th year (= 1901), |
| 九 | kyū | nine | |
| 月 | gatsu | month | the 9th month (= September), |
| 一 | |||
| 日 | tsuitachi | the first day | |
| 印 | in | stamp | |
| 刷 | satsu | the first day. | |
| 今 | ko | this | Published in |
| 年 | toshi | year | the same year, |
| 今 | kon | this | |
| 月 | getsu | month | the same month, |
| 五 | itsu | fifth | |
| 日 | ka | day | |
| 発 | hatsu | emit | |
| 行 | kō | go | the 5th day. |
Followed by the publisher’s address, telephone number and name:
| Character | Reading | Meaning | Translation |
| 印 | in | stamp | |
| 刷 | satsu | ||
| 兼 | ken | combine | |
| 発 | hatsu | emit | |
| 行 | kō | go | |
| 者 | sha | person | Printer and publisher, |
| 東 | tō | east | |
| 京 | kyō | capital | |
| 市 | shi | city | Tokyo city, |
| 日 | ni | sun | |
| 本 | hon | origin | |
| 橋 | hashi | bridge | |
| 区 | ku | district | Nihonbashi district, |
| 吉 | yoshi | good luck | |
| 川 | kawa | river | |
| 町 | chō | quarter | Yoshikawa quarter, |
| 二 | ni | two | |
| 番 | ban | number | |
| 地 | chi | earth, land | number 2. |
| 電 | den | electricity | |
| 話 | wa | conversation | |
| 二 | ni | two | |
| 千 | sen | thousand | |
| 二 | ni | two | |
| 百 | hyaku | hundred | |
| 八 | hachi | eight | |
| 十 | jū | ten | |
| 六 | roku | six | |
| 番 | ban | number | Telephone number: 2286. |
| 松 | matsu | pine | |
| 木 | ki | tree | |
| 平 | hei | level | |
| 吉 | kichi | good luck | Matsuki Heikichi |
References
- Coats, Bruce A. (2006). Chikanobu. Modernity and nostalgia in Japanese prints. Leiden: Hotei publishing.
- Gary’s Chikanobu website.
- Newland, Amy Reigle (2021). Printed and painted. The Meiji art of Ogata Gekkō (1859-1920). Leiden: Hotei Publishing.
Provenance: Fuji Arts