Meiji prints
| Design: | Yōshū Chikanobu (1838-1912) | |||||
| Print title: | Make-up | |||||
| Album/series title: | Azuma Fūzoku (Customs of the East) | |||||
| Size: | 21.2 x 30.2 cm (ōban) | |||||
| Original woodblock print | ||||||
| Photography: | Jacques Commandeur |
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Special effects: burnishing (sho-men-zuri) on the lady’s hair and on her obi; embossing (kara-zuri) on the fan lying on the floor.
On the burnishing of the lady’s obi are written the characters (not visible in the photograph) 源女口 which translates into something like “source female mouth”.
Artist’s signature in the bottom left 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, |
| 六 | roku | six | number six |
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: Gallery Somei-do