//Mid-19th century
  • Artist: Utagawa Kuniyoshi [歌川 國芳] (Japanese, 1798 – 1861) Publisher: British Museum provides for the title as Enkyoku-zoroi [艶曲揃] (Set of Voluptuous Melodies) and the publisher as Sanpei. Indeed, 三平 (Sanpei) was a wholesale fan shop at the end of the Edo period. However, Andreas Marks identifies the publisher's seal as 三平 Mihei = Mikawaya Heiroku (1848-56), a member of the Fan Producing Guild (AM 11-016|325a). Block carver: Yokokawa Takejirō, seal: Carver Taki [彫竹] (Hori Take)

    Signed: Ichiyosai Kuniyoshi ga in a red cartouche and sealed with paulownia (kiri mon).

    Date seal and double nanushi censor seals: Fuku & Muramatsu, 1853 (Kaei 6, 2nd month).

    Size: Uchiwa-e (untrimmed fan print) 296 x 230 mm.

    SVJP-0303.2019

  • Utagawa Kunisada [歌川 国貞]; a.k.a. Utagawa Toyokuni III [三代歌川豊国] (Japanese, 1786 – 1865). Signed: Toyokuni ga [豊国 画] in a red toshidama cartouche. Publisher: Ibaya Senzaburō [伊場屋仙三郎] (Japanese, fl. 1815 – 1869). Block carver: Yokokawa Takejirō [横川竹二郎] (Japanese, fl. 1845 – 1863), seal: 彫竹 – Hori Take. Date seal and aratame censor seal: May of the Year of Dragon [辰五] (Tatsu-go) (5/1856) (Not in Marks). Uncut fan print (uchiwa-e) depicting Onoe Kikugorō IV as Karukaya Dōshin parting from his son, Ishidomaru (played by Ichimura Uzaemon XIII), and Kawarasaki Gonjūrō I as Yamazakiya Yogoro in the kabuki play Karukaya Dōshin Tsukushi no Iezuto [苅萱桑門筑紫𨏍], written by Namiki Sōsuke [並木宗輔] (Japanese, 1695 – 1751) and performed at Ichimuraza [市村座] in 05/1856. Media: Fan print [団扇絵] (Uchiwa-e); size: 235 x 305 mm. Actors: Onoe Kikugorō IV [四代目 尾上菊五郎] (Japanese, 1808 – 1860); other names:  Onoe Baikō IV, Onoe Eizaburō III, Onoe Kikue, Nakamura Tatsuzō, Nakamura Kachō. Onoe Kikugorō V [五代目尾上菊五郎] (Japanese, 1844 – 1903 other names: Onoe Baikō V, Ichimura Kakitsu IV, Ichimura Uzaemon XIII [十三代目市村羽左衛門], Ichimura Kurōemon. Ichikawa Danjūrō IX [市川団十郎] (Japanese, 1838 – 1903); other names: Kawarasaki Sanshō, Kawarasaki Gonnosuke VII, Kawarasaki Gonjūrō I, Kawarasaki Chōjūrō III. Plot: It was a popular belief at one time that jealous women had their hair transformed into writhing serpents and Kato Sayemon Shige-Uji, a daimyo of Tsukushi, a much-married man, suffered from the delusion that his wife was so affected. He fled to the mountains to escape her and led the life of a hermit under the name of Karukaya Doshin [苅萓道心]. One day, on Mount Kōya (高野山, Kōyasan) Karukaya meets a young man who was wandering in the mountains. Being questioned, the youth tells his name, Ishidomaru, and elicits the information that he is seeking his lost father. Karukaya then recognizes the boy as his own son, but firm in the resolve to remain lost to the world, he refrains from disclosing himself, and bids the youth return home. Provenance: Paul F. Walter (American, 1935 – 2017). Ref.:
    1. [LIB-2110.2019] Samuel L. Leiter. Historical Dictionary of Japanese Traditional Theatre (Historical Dictionaries of Literature and the Arts). / 2nd edition. – Lanham: Rowman & Littlefield, 2014; pp. 379-380.
    2. [LIB-2206.2019] Basil Stewart. Subjects portrayed in Japanese colour-prints. — London: Kegan Paul, Trench, Trubner & Co. Ltd., 1922.
     
  • Engraved title page: ILLUSTRATION | OF | TIME. | GEORGE CRUIKSHANK. | "THERE IS A TIME FOR ALL THINGS". | TEMPUS EDAX RERUM. | LONDON | Published May 1st 1827 by the Artist - 22 Myddelton Terrace Pentonville. - Sold by Js. Robins & Co. Ivy Lane Paternoster Row.

    Oblong folio, 33.5 x 44 cm. Engraved vignette title page and six not-coloured engraved plates with multiple images showing thirty-five humorous scenes.

    First edition, first issue. Uncoloured. Pristine condition.

    Half-leather bound in marbled cardboard and red morocco and gild lettering and arabesque. Frontispiece and 6 plates with protective tissues.

    Content:

    1. Time-Called & Time-Come (five sketches)

    2. Behind Time (seven sketches)

    3. Time Thrown Away (six sketches)

    4. Hard Times [&] Term Time (five sketches)

    5. Time Badly Employed (five sketches)

    6. Christmas Time (seven sketches)

    British Museum № 1978,U.3026.1. BM description: "Frontispiece, the title on a background of symmetrical but dilapidated and grass-grown masonry. On the summit stands a little laughing gnome, with a wide hat and a body formed of an hour-glass; Inset is an oval bordered by a serpent with its tail in its mouth (emblem of eternity), in which is an aged and all-devouring Time (bald except for a forelock), seated behind a table whose surface is the base of the design. He puts to his mouth a fork on which is speared an elephant with a castle on its back containing tiny figures with spears. In his r. hand is a spoon containing a country church. His table is covered with dishes, and at his r. hand is a sickle. The central and biggest dish is heaped with a jumble of tiny objects: crown, table, chair, wheelbarrow, picture; round the room sit little figures: a soldier, parson, lady and child, &c. The ten other dishes contain: an antique glass coach with horses and footmen; an overladen camel beside a palm-tree; ruins of a castle; a farmhouse; a shepherd and sheep; a dismantled cannon and balls, cattle, a man-of-war in full sail; a ruinous Gothic cathedral; a clump of trees (the last two are dominated by a large decanter). Below Time are two (Egyptian) pyramids. Above: 'There Is A Time For All Things'; below: 'Tempus Edax Rerum'. 1 May 1827. Etching."
    Bibliography:
    • Reid, G W, A descriptive catalogue of the works of George Cruikshank, London, 1871.
    • Stephens, Frederic George; George, Mary Dorothy, Catalogue of Political and Personal Satires in the Department of Prints and Drawings in the British Museum, 11 vols, London, BMP, 1870.
    • Cohn, A M, George Cruikshank, catalogue raisonné, London, 1924.
  • A two-volume set, published in Paris by P.-J. Hetzel in 1845 and 1846.

    Vol. 1:

    Title: LE | DIABLE A PARIS | — PARIS ET LES PARISIENS — | MŒURS ET COUTUMES, CARACTERES ET PORTRAITS DES HABITANTS DE PARIS, | TABLEAU COMPLET DE LEUR VIE PRIVEE, PUBLIQUE, POLITIQUE, | ARTISTIQUE, LITTERAIRE, INDUSTRIELLE, ETC., ETC. | TEXTE PAR MM. | GEORGE SAND — P.-J. STAHL — LEON GOZLAN — P. PASCAL — FREDERIC SOULIE — CHARLES NODIER | EUGENE BRIFFAULT — S. LAVALETTE — DE BALZAC — TAXILE DELORD — ALPHONSE KARR | MÉRY — A. JUNCETIS — GERARD DE NERVAL — ARSÈNE HOUSSAYE — ALBERT AUBERT — THÉOPHILE GAUTIER | OCTAVE FEUILLET — ALFRED DE MUSSET — FRÉDÉRIC BÉRAT | précédé d’une | HISTOIRE DE PARIS PAR THEOPHILE LAVALLÉE | ILLUSTRATIONS | LES GENS DE PARIS — SERIES DE GRAVURES AVEC LEGENDES | PAR GAVARNI | PARIS COMIQUE — VIGNETTES DE BERTALL | VUES, MONUMENTS, EDIFICES PARTICULIERS, LIEUX CÉLÈBRES ET PRINCIPAUX ASPECTS DE PARIS | PAR CHAMPIN, BERTRAND, D’AUBIGNY, FRANÇAIS. | [DEVICE] | PARIS | PUBLIÉ PAR J. HETZEL, | RUE RICHELIEU, 76 – RUE DE MÉNARS, 10. | 1845 ||

    Pagination: ffl, [2 – h.t. / Paris: Typographie Lacrampe et Comp., Rue Damiette, 2 ; Papeir de la fabrique de sainte-marie] [2 – blank / frontis. ‘Diable’ with lantern standing on map of Paris] [2 – t.p. /blank] [I] II-XXXII, [1] 2-380, bfl. Sheet size: 27.5 x 17.5 cm.

    Collation: 4to; A(4) – D(4), [1(4)] 2(4) – 47(4), 48(2); illustrations: frontispiece, vignette title-page, numerous text engravings and 99 plates.

    Vol. 2: Title: LE | DIABLE A PARIS | — PARIS ET LES PARISIENS — | MŒURS ET COUTUMES, CARACTERES ET PORTRAITS DES HABITANTS DE PARIS, | TABLEAU COMPLET DE LEUR VIE PRIVEE, PUBLIQUE, POLITIQUE, | ARTISTIQUE, LITTERAIRE, INDUSTRIELLE, ETC., ETC. | TEXTE PAR MM. | DE BALZAC — EUGÈNE SUE — GEORGE SAND — P.-J. STAHL — ALPHONSE KARR | HENRY MONNIER — OCTAVE FEUILLET — DE STENDAHL — LEON GOZLAN — S. LAVALETTE — ARMAND MARRAST | LAURENT-JAN —ÉDOUARD OURLIAC — CHARLES DE BOIGNE — ALTAROCHE — EUG. GUINOT | JULES JANIN — EUGENE BRIFFAULT — AUGUSTE BARBIER — MERQUIS DE VARENNES — ALFRED DE MUSSET | CHARLES NODIER — FRÉDÉRIC BÉRAT — A. LEGOYT| précédé d’une | GÉOGRAPHIE DE PARIS PAR THEOPHILE LAVALLÉE | ILLUSTRATIONS | LES GENS DE PARIS — SERIES DE GRAVURES AVEC LEGENDES | PAR GAVARNI | PARIS COMIQUE — PANTHÉON DU DIABLE A PARIS PAR BERTALL | VUES, MONUMENTS, EDIFICES PARTICULIERS, LIEUX CÉLÈBRES ET PRINCIPAUX ASPECTS DE PARIS | PAR CHAMPIN, BERTRAND, D’AUBIGNY, FRANÇAIS. | [DEVICE] | PARIS | PUBLIÉ PAR J. HETZEL, | RUE RICHELIEU, 76 – RUE DE MÉNARS, 10. | 1846 || Pp. : ffl, [2 – h.t. / Paris: Typographie Lacrampe et Comp., Rue Damiette, 2 ; Papeir de la fabrique de sainte-marie] [2 – t.p. /blank] [I] II-LXXX, [1] 2-364, bfl. Sheet size: 27.5 x 17.5 cm. Collation: 4to; A(4) – I(4) – J(4), 1(4), 2(4) – 45(4), 46(2); illustrations: vignette title-page, numerous text engravings and 112 plates.

    Binding: [allegedly Roger de Coverly (British, 1831 — 1914)], 28.2 x 19 cm, ¾ brown calf ruled in gilt, brown marbled boards, nonpareil marbled endpapers, raised and ruled in gilt bands, floral devices and title lettering to spine. AEG. Foxing to flyleaves, tips of corners just a very little rubbed as are the glazed marbled paper boards; endpapers foxed; very occasional light scattered foxing of text.

    Provenance: (1) Armorial bookplate (Ex Libris Sir John Whittaker Ellis, 1st Baronet (1829 – 1912), Lord Mayor of London 1881; (2) Bookplate Ex Libris Robert Frederick Green) dated 1909.

    Reference: L. Carteret (1927) pp. 203-207: the first edition, lacking the publisher's white pictorial wrappers.
  • Utagawa Kuniyoshi (attributed to). Memorial portrait (Shini-e, death picture) of Nakamura Utaemon IV (a.k.a. Shikan II) as Taira no Kiyomori (1118-81). Date: 1852. Reference: [LIB-1030.2016] Robert Schaap. Heroes & ghosts: Japanese prints by Kuniyoshi, 1797-1861. — Leiden: Hotei Publishing, 1998; p. 165, image 176. [LIB-3316.2024] Chris Uhlenbeck, Jim Dwinger, Josephine Smit. The Riddles of Ukiyo-e: Women and Men in Japanese Prints. — Brussels: Ludion, 2023; pp. 242-3, № 119. Provenance: Herbert Egenolf Collection, Germany. Literature: Suzuki (1992) 317. Trimmed, unsigned.
  • Artist: Utagawa Kunisada [歌川 国貞] a.k.a. Utagawa Toyokuni III [三代歌川豊国] (Japanese, 1786 – 1865). Signed: Toyokuni ga [豊国 画] in a red toshidama cartouche. Publisher: Iseya Sōemon [伊勢屋惣右衛門] (Japanese, c. 1776 – 1862), seal Marks 21-216. Double nanushi censor’s seals: Hama & Magome (1849-53). Title: Wisteria in Kameido [亀戸乃藤] (Kameido no fuji). An uncut fan print (uchiwa-e), depicting a young woman coming down Taikobashi bridge at Kameido Tenjin Shrine.
  • Artist: Utagawa Kunisada [歌川 国貞], a.k.a. Utagawa Toyokuni III [三代 歌川 豊国] (Japanese, 1786 – 1865). Signed: Toyokuni ga [豊国 画] in a red toshidama cartouche Block carver: Yokokawa Takejirō [横川竹二郎] (Japanese, fl. 1845 – 1863), seal: 彫竹 – hori Take. Publisher: Ibaya Senzaburō [伊場屋仙三郎] (Japanese, fl. c. 1845 – 1847). Media: Untrimmed fan print (uchiwa-e), 230 x 295 mm. Combined date seal and kiwame censor seal: Ansei 6 (1859). Title: Princess Sotoori [衣通姫] (Sotoori-hime) – Sotoori-hime was a concubine of Emperor Ingyo (reigned AD 412-53), and one of the Three Gods of Japanese Poetry [和歌三神] (Waka sanjin). Series: Chronicles of Elegant Women [風雅女史傳] (Fūga joshiden). The sign on the torii (Shinto shrine gates) reads: Mountain king shrine [山王宮] – it is the Sannō Shrine at the Nagata Riding Grounds in Edo. A print with these gates is at MFA (Boston) # 21.9853. Other prints from the same series in this collection: SVJP-0343.2021 — Tamagiku: SVJP-0400.2023 — Saiko: Note: Special thanks to Horst Graebner, who helped decipher and understand the meaning.  
  • Artist: Utagawa Kunisada [歌川 国貞] a.k.a. Utagawa Toyokuni III [三代歌川豊国] (Japanese, 1786 – 1865). Publisher: Iseya Sōemon [伊勢屋惣右衛門] (Japanese, c. 1776 – 1862). Signed: Kunisada ga within a double toshidama. Date-kiwame seals: Bunsei 11 (1828).
  • Artist: Utagawa Kunisada [歌川 国貞] a.k.a. Utagawa Toyokuni III [三代歌川豊国] (Japanese, 1786 – 1865). Signed: Ōju Toyokuni ga [応需豊国画], in a toshidama cartouche. Double nanushi censor seals: Mera & Murata (1846-50). Publisher: Kojimaya Jūbei [小嶋屋重兵衛] (Japanese, fl. c. 1797 – 1869). A beautiful woman, possibly a kabuki actor Iwai Hanshirō VIII [岩井半四郎] (Iwai Shijaku II, Iwai Kumesaburō III [岩井粂三郎], Iwai Hisajirō II, Japanese, 1829 – 1882), tuning the samisen on a veranda under the shining stars. The complete set of series Moon, Sun, Stars [月日星] (tsuki-hi-hoshi/boshi),  three sources of light (sankō) [三光]:
  • Title page: DIALOGUE AUX ENFERS | ENTRE | MACHIAVEL | ET MONTESQUIEU | OU LA POLITIQUE DE MACHIAVEL | AU XIXe SIÈCLE, | PAR UN CONTEMPORAIN. | {6 lines of citations} | ~ | BRUXELLES, | IMPRIMERIE DE A. MERTENS ET FILS, | RUE DE L’ESCALIER, 22. | 1864 ||

    Description: 17.9 x 12 cm, quarter red morocco over marbled boards, spine with raised bands, gilt bees in compartments, gilt lettering,  marbled endpapers, ffep cut out top 1/4, ffep and h.t. loose.

    Collation: 12mo; fep, π4 1-2712, 292, fep.; total 174 leaves. Pagination: [2 h.t] [2 t.p.] [i] ii-iii [iv] [1] 2-337 [338] [2 errata].

    Inscriptions and markings: "Hommage respectueux offert à M. Bourdais par son très humble serviteur, 5 Janvier 1881". Signature: E. Rouger (?) "Vu et approuvé". "Valatte". Ink stamp: "M<aîtr>e E. Brouard - Notaire a Laon Aisne".

    Other copies: LIB-1034.2016 and LIB-2913.2021. Other related objects: SVVP-0062.2021. The publication was funded by the author and smuggled into France. Contributors: Maurice Joly (French, 1829 – 1878)