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Meiji prints

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	Design:	Arai Kanpō (1878-1945)
	Print title:	Shōtoku Taishi
	Album/series title:	Shōnen Rekishi (Boy’s history)
	Size:	21.2 x 30.2 cm (ōban)
	Original woodblock print
	Photography:	Jacques Commandeur

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Enlargement

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Published ca. 1900-1910s by Akiyama Buemon.

This print has a vertical fold in the middle, meaning that it originally was issued as part of an orihon (i.e., folding book).

Prince Shōtoku (574 622) was a semi-legendary regent and a politician of the Asuka period in Japan.

Artist’s name and red seal in right print area:

Character	Reading	Meaning	Translation
寛	kan	beautiful
方	pō	treasure	Kanpō

Series title in brown cartouche in right margin:

Character	Reading	Meaning	Translation
少	shō	few
年	nen	year
歴	reki	passage of time
史	shi	history	Boy’s history

Followed by print title:

Character	Reading	Meaning	Translation
聖	sei	holy
徳	toku	benevolence
太	taita	thick
子	shi	child	Shōtoku Taishi

Publisher’s address, telephone number, and firm name (from right to left) in bottom margin:

Character	Reading	Meaning	Translation
東	tō	east
京	kyō	capital
市	shi	city	Tokyo city,
日	nichi	sun
本	hon	origin
橋	hashi	bridge	Nihonbashi
區	ku	district	district,
室	muro	greenhouse
町	machi	quarter	Muro quarter,
三	san	three
丁	chō	house block
目	me	count suffix	3rd house block,
九	yū	nine
番	ban	number
地	chi	earth, land	number 9,
電	den	electricity
話	wa	talk
本	hon	origin
局	kyoku	office
五	go	five
一	ichi	one
四	yon	four	Telephone
四	yon	four	main office 5144
滑	kotsu	slide
稽	kei	think
堂	dō	temple	Kokkeidō

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References

• This page of the National Gallery of Australia website, where the complete Shōnen Rekishi album designed by Arai Kanpō can be viewed.

• The archive of Dieter Wanczura’s Artelino website.

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Provenance: Fuji Arts