Meiji prints
| Design: | Yōshū Chikanobu (1838-1912) | |||||
| Print title: | Moon viewing | |||||
| 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 hair of the lady and the girl; silver metallic pigments on the obi of the girl and on the two sake bottles on the table.
On the table typical offerings for the September moon are displayed. These are, from left to right: susuki (pampas) grass, Tsukimi dango (white rice dumplings), chestnuts and taro, and sake. The Tsukimi festival celebrates the harvest.
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, |
| 八 | hachi | eight | number eight |
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