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Specific Techniques

Nishiki-e (錦絵, “brocade picture”), a type of multi-coloured woodblock printing, used in the ukiyo-e (浮世絵, “pictures of ‘floating world’”) genre of Japanese art.

Description

Two piece woodblock print showing eight small male figures (part a) and one large female figure (part b). The men are on the left, in various positions, wearing clothing that has striped, dotted, checkered, and floral patterns in light blue, grey, yellow, purple, and black. Four men are holding fans, two men have a hand under their chins; one man has both hands crossed under his chin, and one man is admiring himself in a rectangular mirror. The female on the right is resting on the ground leaning against a table, looking toward the men. She is holding a scroll and is wearing clothing that has a light blue and dark blue diamond shape pattern on a white background covered with a red and yellow pattern. The ground is green, the background is white, and the top is blue. Above the female, there are black characters. In each lower right corner, there is a vertically rectangular black seal of the publisher (版元, hanmoto), a pair of circular black censor seals known as nanushi-in (名主印), one type of censor seal, and black writing in 'kanji'. The print is made of two vertically rectangular pieces, creating a horizontally rectangular image overall.

History Of Use

The Date Made refers to the date the design of this print was originally created, and this print is likely to be an early impression/edition as indicated by a pair of nanushi censor seals (名主印). Nanushi were individuals who added their censor marks. This particular type of censorship seals was used on woodblock prints issued during the period 1842-1852. The print was published by Enshūya Hikobē (遠州屋 彦兵衛).

Narrative

The various inscriptions on the print are as follows: on the right sheet, inside the red column: the title, 独娘に婿八人 (Hitori musume ni muko hachinin, Eight Bridegrooms for One Daughter); on the top: a poem by Momokuri Sanjin (桃栗山人), one of the pseudonyms of the comic author Utei Enba (烏亭焉馬, 1743–1822). Signed: Ichiyōsai Toyokuni ga (one of Kunisada’s signatures). Censor seal (circle, top): 衣笠, refers to Kinugasa Fusajirō (衣笠房次郎). Censor seal (circle, bottom): 吉村, refers to Yosimura Gentarō (吉村源太郎). Publisher’s seal (rectangular): ト、通三遠彦, refers to Enshūya Hikobē (遠州屋 彦兵衛). On the left side sheet: Signed: 応需 豊国戯画 (Ōju Toyokuni giga, one of Kunisada’s signatures). 応需 (ōju) refers to “by special request”. Censor seal (circle, top): 衣笠, refers to Kinugasa Fusajirō (衣笠房次郎). Censor seal (circle, bottom): 吉村, refers to Yosimura Gentarō (吉村源太郎). Publisher’s seal (rectangular): ト、通三遠彦, refers to Enshūya Hikobē (遠州屋 彦兵衛).