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Meiji prints

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	Design:	Yamamoto Shōun (1870-1965)
	Print title:	Misuji (Shamisen)
	Album/series title:	Ima Sugata (Today's beauties)
	Size:	37.2 x 19.3 cm (ōban)
	Original woodblock print
	Photography:	Jacques Commandeur

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Enlargement

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Special effects: embossed fabric printing (nuno-me-zuri) on the headscarfs of the two ladies; embossing (kara-zuri) on the paper lantern and on the book held by the lady on the left.

Printing and publishing dates in left margin:

Character	Reading	Meaning	Translation
明	mei	light	Printed in the
治	ji	government	Meiji era,
四	yon	four
十	jū	ten
年	nen	year	the 40th year (= 1907),
四	yon	four
月	gatsu	month	the 4th month (= April),
一	ichi	one
日	nichi	day
印	in	stamp
刷	satsu	print	the first day.
今	kon	now	Published in
年	nen	year	the same year,
今	kon	now
月	getsu	month	the same month,
五	go	five
日	nichi	day
發	hatsu	emit
行	kō	go	the 5th day.

Followed by the publisher’s address, name and telephone number:

Character	Reading	Meaning	Translation
東	tō	east
京	kyō	capital
市	shi	city	Tokyo city,
日	ni	sun
本	hon	origin
橋	hashi	brdge
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,
松	ma	pine
木	tsuki	tree
平	hei	level
吉	kichi	good luck	Matsuki Heikichi,
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.

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References

• Merritt, Helen, and Yamada, Nanako (1992). Guide to Modern Japanese Woodblock Prints: 1900 - 1975. Honolulu: University of Hawai’i Press.

• Ōta Memorial Museum of Art (2006). Yamamoto Shoun. Special Exhibition Collection of the Museum of Art, Kochi. Tokyo: Ōta Memorial Museum of Art.

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Provenance: Mokuhankan