Meiji prints
| Design: | Yōshū Chikanobu (1838-1912) | |||||
| Print title: | Sudden evening shower | |||||
| 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: metallic pigment on the rain; burnishing (sho-men-zuri) on the lady’s hair.
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, |
| 七 | shichi | seven | number seven |
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: An auction held in July 2021 by the Floating World gallery