Japanese Colour Prints
Japanese Colour Prints
Japanese Colour Prints
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VICTORIA AND ALBERT MUSEUM
DEPARTMENT OF ENGRAVING, ILLUSTRATION AND
DESIGN
FEB ^5 1933
Frontispiece.]
VICTORIA AND ALBERT MUSEUM
DEPARTMENT OF ENGRAVING, ILLUSTRATION AND
DESIGN
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
Facing
Page
First Dream in the New Year ofan Ukiyoye painter.
The Ship of Good Fortune with the Seven Gods.
(E. 4903-'86.) Frontispiece
Publisher Daishu. Perhaps a portrait of the artist.
828404
NOTE
This Catalogue ivas compiled hy Mr. Edward F. Strange, C.B.E.,
formerly of the Department of Engraving, Illustration and Design.
CECIL H. SMITH.
CATALOGUE OF COLOUR PRINTS
By UTAGAWA TOYOKUNI I
I. BIOGRAPHICAL NOTE
UTAGAWA ICHIYOSAI TOYOKUNI was one of the most
skilful and best known of the Japanese makers of colour
prints ; and his work possesses an individuality which
especially entitles it to a degree of separate consideration.
He was born in the year 1769; his father, Gorobei Kurahashi,
being a carver of wooden images, Buddhistic and theatrical, of some
local reputation. His artistic style was founded, in the first instance,
been produced in 1786, in his 18th year. And he had a great reputation
as a designer of fan-prints.
The circumstances which gave rise to the production of these, and
similar prints by other artists, are of peculiar interest. The lower
classes of the Japanese had a passion for the drama ; and the leading
actors, as such, were idolized to an extraordinary extent. A great and
(2848) c
2
Scenes from the plays in which they appeared. This was met by such
work as is herein catalogued —prints of the highest technical and artistic
merit, but produced and sold at a trivial price to gratify the ever-
imposed by the technical process used) could be more realistic than the
way in which Toyokuni sets forth the attitudes, the grouping, the
make-up, and especially the dramatic spirit of the actors he was
employed to paint. Another point to be allowed for is that female
parts were invariably played by men. Among the prints in this
collection will be found some depicting actors who had a special
reputation for this faculty.
Care must be taken by students to distinguish between the work
of Toyokuni I. and that of two men who succeeded to his name. One
of these was Naogiro, an adopted son, whose earlier prints are signed
latter, and henceforward used his name, generally with the addition
Gosotei. He died in 1835. Another and better known pupil, Kunisada,
took the name of Toyokuni in 1844, and often described himself as
" the second Toyokuni " ; though, in point of date, he was the third
artist to use the name. He died in 1864 at the age of 79. Examples
have been noted by yet another and later artist, describing himself
as " Toyokuni of the third generation " ; but his prints are of no
importance.
The stories on which the plays were based have, nearly all, been
related by Professor Anderson, in his catalogue of the Chinese and
Japanese Paintings at the British Museum ; in the works of the late
E. F. S.
(28 '8) c 2
II. CATALOGUE
FAMOUS ACTORS IN CHARACTER
Bando Mitsugoro and Iwai Kiimesaburo in the parts of Kichi and his
mistress Oshichi.
(12 X 91) E. 4808-'86.
The burnt her own house in order to have an opportunity of retiring
latter
to a monastery, where she had once enjoyed, under the same circumstances,
a meeting with the former. She was burnt at the stake. A 17th century story.
Ume-no-Yoshibei. E. 4834-'86.
Ichikawa Danzo in the part of Banzui Chobei and Iwai Hansbiro in
that of his wife Asoki.
(l-lf X 9f) , E. 4813-'86-
Publisher Yeiju.
Ichikawa Danzo and another actor in the parts of Oye Masahira and
Otsuyu, a ferry-woman.
(14| X 9|) E. 4818-'86.
Publisher Yeiju.
(14fx9f) E. 4823-'86.
Publisher Yeiju do.
Ichikawa Komazo and Bando Mitsugoro in the parts of Oda Harunaga
(Oda Nobunaga) beating his vassal Takechi (Akechi) Mitsuhide,
who afterwards killed him. (1582 a.d.)
(14f X 9f)
E. 4824-'86.
(14i X 10)
•
E. 4833-'86.
Printer Yeiju.
Segawa Kikunojo and another actor in the parts of Takao, and the
wrestler, Sazanami Katsunosuke.
Scene from the " ChGshingura.' Segawa and Kikunosuke and Ichi-
(i5i X m) E. 4863-'86.
(Hi X 9f)
21362.
"
Segawa Roko in the part of a blind man dancing, with a " biwa
on his back.
(14| X 9f) E. 4866-'86.
a woman.
(14J X 9|) E. 4867-'86.
Publisher Tsutaya.
11
interesting.
(8 X IH) E. 1469-1487-1900.
In album containing the above are inserted two specimens of fine
the
calligraphy, poems in the hand-writing of Takatsukasa Kanehiro, and
HiGASHizoNO Motokadzu, Court nobles of c. 1704 a.d.
Theatre programme.
(14| X 10) E. 4871-'86.
A Scene from each of the 12 acts of the Drama " Chushingura " (the
Story of the 47 Ronin) 6 sheets (2 scenes on each).
(13J X 8J) E. 4873-4878-'86.
Act II. Honzo cutting off a branch of a pine-tree while inciting his master
Wakasanosuke to quarrel with Morono. E. 4873-'86.
Act VII. The discovery of the spy, Kudayu, beneath the floor of the Ichiriki
tea-house.
Act VIII. Honzo on his journey. . E. 4876-'86.
Act IX. (Lower portion) Honzo revcahng himself to Oboshi and Tonase.
Act X. Yabui Yochiku, a quack doctor, threatening to have his sister, the
Act XII. Kobayashi Heihachi fighting with one of the Ronin. E. 4878-'86.
The Drama " Chushingura " the actors Ichikawa Omezo and Kosa-
;
gawa Tsuneyo as Amagawaya Gihei and his wife Osono in the 10th
scene.
X E. 4879-'86.
(13i 5f)
Actors representing Masaoka (left) and Yashio (right), who had killed
her son.
(143 X E. 4882-'86.
9J)
Publisher Yeiju.
^^.
.>->^
3^
.^
-c^----^
the Koto).
(14J X 9|) E. 4886-'86.
and caught him by the back part of his helmet, which was torn.
Two actors.
Two actors.
(14| X 9t)
E. 4895-'86
Publisher Tsutaya.
MISCELLANEOUS SUBJECTS
(14| X n) E. 4229-'97.
Publisher Yeiju.
Kameido Temple.
{9i X 14) E. 4904-'86.
Publisher Idzumiya Ichibei.
Two women bleaching cloth in the river Tamagawa ; with the flowers
Nuphar and Sagittaria in bloom.
(14^ X 9f) E. 1430-'98.
Picnic of women on the banks of the Sumida river in the time of cherry-
blossom. 3-sheet. Plate VI.
(15f X lOi) 21356-
Pubhsher Yeijudo.
FAN DESIGNS
Men and women travelling in a State barge.
Colour print. (8^x10^) E. 2422-1912.
SURIMONO
Gaku. Ichikawa Danjiuro acting.
(8i X 11) E. 163-'98.
Gaku were votive offerings to a temple.
BOOKS OF REFERENCE
THE following books may usefully be referred to for fuller information
on the subject.
Anderson, William. •
GoNSE, Louis.
— L'Art Japonais. Plates [some col.), and illustrations in the text.
Morrison, Arthur.
—The Painters of Japan. 48 illus. (The Monthly Review,
1902-1903.)
— Painters
^The of Japan. 122 plates. 2 vols. (15x11) London,
1911.
Succo, Friedrich.
—Utagawa Toyokuni und seine Zeit. Illus. 2 vols. (11 X 8)
Miinchen, 1913.
Tajima, Shiohi.
—Masterpieces selected from the Ukiyoye School. (Toyokuni I.,
Woodcut Printing.
—Woodcut Printing in water colours after the Japanese manner.
Including interviews with S. Eida and J. D. Batten, an account
of the process by R. Tokuno. 12 pp. 8 photo-zincotypes. (The
Studio, III., 110, 144.) (12 x 9) London, 1894.
Process of Wood-Cut Printing. A volume illustrating in
Catalogue.
Publication No.
81 E.i.D. Japanese Method of Colour Printing, Tools and
Materials illustrating, pp. 22 ; 3 plates, 6 figs. Roy. 8vo.
1913. 2d. (By post 3hd.)
Guide.
Handbook.
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828404