Kodomo asobi dehajime sugoroku Item Number: N2.1251 from the MOA: University of British Columbia

Description

E-sugoroku game. Rectangular sheet of paper covered with a woodblock printed scene that shows firemen, known as hikeshi (火消し), on ladders in acrobatic positions on the upper portion, with a crowd of men gathered together observing them in the lower portion. Predominant colours are blue, green, black and brown on an off-white background.

Cultural Context

E-sugoroku (絵双六/絵雙六; “picture sugoroku”) is one type of sugoroku (双六/雙六), a Japanese board game, along with ban-sugoroku (盤双六; “board sugoroku”). E-sugoroku is similar to the English game called 'Snakes and Ladders'.

Narrative

This e-sugoroku (絵双六/絵雙六; “picture sugoroku”) is entitked, “Kodomo asobi dehajime sugoroku (子供遊出始雙六; Playful children beginning sugoroku) and made by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (月岡芳年) and originally published by Iseya Kanekichi (伊勢屋兼吉) in 1865. Signed 玉桜芳年筆 (Gyokuō Yoshitoshi hitsu). The writing on the right margin is 慶需 玉桜芳年筆 (Keiju Gyokuō Yoshitoshi hitsu) and the one on the left margin is 伊勢屋兼吉壽梓 (Iseya Kanekichi jushi).

Item History

What

Name
Kodomo asobi dehajime sugoroku
Identification Number
N2.1251
Type of Item
game
Manufacturing Technique
woodblock printed
Overall
height 61.0 cm, width 72.0 cm

Who

Culture
Japanese
Creator
Yoshitoshi Tsukioka (Maker)
Field Collector
Ronald P. Dore
Previous Owner
Ronald P. Dore
Received from
Ronald P. Dore (Seller) and Leon & Thea Koerner Foundation (Funding source)

Where

Holding Institution
MOA: University of British Columbia
Made in
Japan

When

Creation Date
during 1865
Collection Date
between 1957 and 1958
Ownership Date
before 1958
Acquisition Date
during 1958

Other

Item Classes
works on paper
Condition
fair
Accession Number
0028/0186