Meiji prints
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This print displays the title page and table of contents of the Senshu no Hana album, including the titles of the twelve prints.*)
Name of the artist in the first column on the right in the red square
Character | Reading | Meaning | Translation |
池 | ike | pond | |
田 | ta | ricefield | |
輝 | kagaya(ku) | shine | |
方 | kata | person | The brush of |
筆 | fude | brush | Ikeda Terukata |
Followed by the series title in the second column from the right:
Character | Reading | Meaning | Translation |
千 | sen | thousand | |
種 | shu | type | |
の | no | ’s | A thousand |
花 | hana | flower | types of flowers |
In the first column from the right in the white/yellowish square is the word Mokuroku (translating into ‘Index’:)
Character | Reading | Meaning | Translation |
目 | moku | eye | |
録 | roku | record | Index |
Followed by the Japanese titles of the twelve individual prints:
Character | Reading | Meaning | Translation |
初 | hatsu | begin | The beginning |
春 | haru | spring | of the year |
徒 | tsu | ||
み | mi | Picking herbs | |
草 | kusa | grass | and wildflowers |
花 | hana | flower | Cherry blossom |
見 | mi | view | viewing |
詠 | ei | composing | |
歌 | ka | classical poem | Composing a poem |
せ | se | ||
う | u | ||
ぶ | bu | iris | Irises |
あ | a | ||
じ | ji | ||
さ | sa | ||
い | i | hydrangea | Hydrangea |
螢 | hotaru | firefly | |
が | ga | ||
里 | ri | hunting | Hunting fireflies |
夕 | yū | evening | |
春 | su | ||
ず | zu | Enjoying | |
み | mi | enjoying the cool air | the evening cool |
秋 | aki | autumn | |
草 | kusa | grass | Autumn grass |
運 | un | ||
動 | dō | sports | |
會 | kai | meet | Sports day |
紅 | kō | deep red | |
葉 | yō | leaf | Autumn leaves |
雪 | yuki | snow | |
見 | mi | view | Snow viewing |
And the last column from the right contains the firm name of the publisher:
Character | Reading | Meaning | Translation |
滑 | kotsu | slide | |
稽 | kei | think | |
堂 | dō | temple | Kokkeidō |
Followed by a red seal with the name of the publisher:
Character | Reading | Meaning | Translation |
秋 | aki | autumn | |
山 | yama | mountain | Akiyama |
References
Provenance: Chris Uhlenbeck’s Hotei Japanese Prints
*) With many thanks to Naoko and Shinji Ōba for helping me with the translation of the text in this print.