Masanobu’s mitate wittily evokes an episode known as “Bodhidharma crossing the Yangzi River on a reed” (Royō Daruma). According to legend, the river crossing occurred en route to the Shaolin monastery, where Bodhidharma sat facing a wall for nine years without speaking. While serious interpretations abound in Chinese and Japanese paintings, popular prints of the Edo period often playfully substituted a beautiful woman for the monk. This parodic version was reportedly invented in response to a courtesan’s comment that she was more enlightened than Bodhidharma because she had spent ten years sitting, on display in a brothel.An interesting article about this particular design is published at UKIYO-E.ORG BLOG. Though, the design is erroneously attributed to Harunobu. We see that Bunchō was quite fascinated by the idea of crossing a water obstacle with the help of an unsuitable means of transportation:
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Ippitsusai Bunchō (一筆斎文調); lived 1725-1794; flourished 1755–1790. Size: Chuban; 26 x 20 cm The design presents a young woman reading a scroll while arranging her hear, and a young man with a rowing rod watching over her shoulder; the pair is standing on a giant shrimp that ferries them over a stream. The third passenger is a literate octopus, who's is attentively exploring the text of a scroll. This allusion comes to mind promptly: “Bodhidharma crossing the Yangzi River on a reed” (Royō Daruma). Image from Asian Art Museum in San Francisco:
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Ippitsusai Bunchō [一筆斎文調] (Japanese, 1725 – 1794). Size: Vertical Hosoban. As the Library of Congress put it: "Print shows the actor Ichikawa Monnosuke II, full-length portrait, facing left, standing on the snow-covered veranda". Actor: Ichikawa Monnosuke II [市川門之助] (Japanese, 1743/56 – 1794); other names: Ichikawa Benzō I, Takinaka Hidematsu II, Takinaka Tsuruzō. According to Heroes of the Kabuki Stage [LIB-1197.2016] Ichikawa Monnosuke II was active from 11/1770 to 10/1794. Play: Chūshingura [忠臣蔵] (The Treasury of Loyal Retainers), played at Nakamuraza in the 4the month of Meiwa 8 (1771). The actor played in a variety of roles and performances and was the subject of multiple woodblock prints by many famous ukiyo-e artists, including Bunchō, Katukawa Shunkō, Katukawa Shunshō, Katsukawa Shun'ei, Tōshūsai Sharaku, and many others. Ref: Vever (1976), vol. 1, № 242, p. 227.
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An unsigned print, presumably by Katsukawa Shunshō that presumably depicts a kabuki actor Ichikawa Monnosuke II. I was not able to find any reference of the image. Size: Hosoban. According to The actor's image. Print makers of the Katsukawa School. Timothy T. Clark and Osamu Ueda with Donald Jenkins. Naomi Noble Richard, editor The Art Institute of Chicago in association with Princeton University Press, 1994, Ichikawa Monnosuke II was born in 1743, in Ōji Takinogawa, Edo. He died on October 19, 1974. His specialities were young male roles (wakashu) and male leads (tachi yaku). He was considered to be one of the four best young actors of his day.
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Unsigned print, attributed to Suzuki Harunobu. Erotic scene on open veranda with a winter landscape on background.
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Print by Katsukawa Shun'ei that presumably depicts a kabuki actor Ichikawa Monnosuke II. I was not able to find any reference of the image. Size: Hosoban. SOLD
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Similar image at MFA under title: Actors and Women in the Snow MFA ACCESSION NUMBER: 11.13568 Date: 1809 (Bunka 6), 12th month Artist: Utagawa Toyokuni I (1769–1825) Publisher Tsuruya Kinsuke (firm name Sôkakudô), № 554 in Marks's "Publishers". DIMENSIONS: Vertical ôban; 38.2 x 25.8 cm (15 1/16 x 10 3/16 in.) MEDIUM OR TECHNIQUE: Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper. Signed: Toyokuni ga (豊国画) Censor's seals: kiwame (改印:極) MFA assumes that this may be "one sheet of incomplete triptych?"
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Artist: Utagawa Toyokuni I (1769–1825) Title: Actors Bando Mitsugorō, Ichikawa Danjūrō, Onoe Kikugorō in play The Maiden at Dōjō Temple. Presumably Bunka 13 (1816) at Nakamura Theater in Edo. Publisher: Mikawaya Seiemon (c. 1805-1829); Marks' "Publishers" № 328, p. 235. Size: Vertical ôban MEDIUM OR TECHNIQUE: Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper. Signed: Toyokuni ga Censor's seal: kiwame Detailed discussion on the topic can be seen at: The Maiden at Dōjō Temple
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Kitagawa Utamaro. According to Chris Uhlenberg this is an illustration from the book Ehon koi no Onamaki, 3 vols, published in Kansei 11 (1799). Illustrated in b/w in: Hayashi Yoshikazu: Kitagawa Utamaro, in the series: Edo makura-e shi shusei, published in 1990, reissued 1994. Size: Chuban (25.5 x 18.5 cm), two book pages glued together.
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Kitagawa Utamaro. Illustration from the book Ehon koi no Onamaki. Cited at Hayashi Yoshikazu's 20-volume set Edo makura-e shi shusei: Kitagawa Utamaro. Size: Chuban (25.5 x 18.5 cm), two book pages glued together.
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Kitagawa Utamaro. Illustration from book Ehon koi no Onamaki, published in 1799. Reference found by Chris Uhlenbeck: he found one of the designs in Hayashi Yoshikazu's 20-volume set Edo makura-e shi shusei: Kitagawa Utamaro. Size: Chuban (25.5 x 18.5 cm), two book pages glued together.
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Katsukawa Shun'ei. The Sumo Bout between Yotsuguruma (right) and Yamaoroshi (left). Date: 1800 or 1805/06. Similar sheet can be found at Edo Tokyo Museum. Size: Vertical Ōban. Sumo wrestler Yotsuguruma Daihachi (1772 - 1809) first appeared in the records of national tournaments in winter of 1794. Then he lost 3 matches and won zero. He first won in the spring tournament of 1797 in a match against maegashira (the fifth-highest rank of sumo wrestlers) named Kougamine. Yamaoroshi Gengo (born 1762) came in at the winter tournament of 1799 . He was much more successful in his career than Yotsuguruma, but he had never won a tournament. It was the time of great Raiden, who won most of them. In the spring tournament of 1800 Yotsuguruma and Yamaoroshi fought against each other for the first time. Yotsuguruma lost. The next time they met on the ring was at the winter tournament of 1805, and again in 1806. Both matches were won by Yamaoroshi. Yamaoroshi retired in 1809; Yotsuguruma died in 1809.
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Artist: Utagawa Toyokuni I (1769–1825) Actor Matsumoto Kōshirō V plays the role of Ikyû in the drama "Sukeroku Yukari no Edo Zakura". The roles of Sukeroku and the courtesan Agemaki are played by Ichikawa Danjûrô VII and Iwai Hanshirô V". Ichimura Theater in Edo in 2nd lunar month of 1811. Publisher: Chōjiya Kichi (1811-1826); Marks' "Publishers" № 028, p. 103. Size: Vertical ôban Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper. Signed: Toyokuni ga My print is the right sheet of a triptych (see: Rare books exhibition in January 2013). A lookalike triptych by Kunisada can be found in Ronin Gallery: Data from Kabuki21: Stage names: Matsumoto Kôshirô V, Ichikawa Komazô III, Ichikawa Sumizô I Guild: Kôraiya Line number: GODAIME (V) Poetry names: Kinshô, Kinkô Existence: 1764 ~ 10th day of the 5th lunar month of 1838 Connection: Father: Matsumoto Kôshirô IV Sons: Matsumoto Kôshirô VI, Ichikawa Sumizô II Disciples: Matsumoto Kojirô, Matsumoto Kingo I, Matsumoto Hidejûrô II
Matsumoto Kôshirô V was one of the Kabuki giants, a senryô yakusha, during the Bunka, Bunsei and Tenpô eras. In his 20's he was a tachiyaku actor excelling in nimaime roles like Soga Jûrô Sukenari in sogamono dramas. He started to perform jitsuaku roles from the 11th lunar month of 1798 and quickly became one of the best actors for villain roles, especially in Tsuruya Nanboku IV's kizewamono. He had a considerable influence on actors like Onoe Kikugorô III or Ichikawa Danjûrô VII. The kata he deviced for some of the most famous roles in Kabuki history, like Gonta ("Sushiya") or Nikki Danjô* ("Meiboku Sendai Hagi") are still used nowadays. "The fifth Kôshirô had a very large nose and his eyes were close together, two facial defects the print artists were fond of depicting, so that this Edo actor is easily picked out in the pictures illustrating the theatre of this time." (Zoë Kincaid in "Kabuki, the Popular Stage of Japan")
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Artist: Kitagawa Utamaro [喜多川 歌麿] (Japanese, c. 1753 – 1806) "This uncommon half-size horizontal ōban ... is most likely one design from a set of twelve prints issued late in Utamaro's life" [Japanese Erotic Fantasies, Hotei Publishing, 2005, p. 143, pl. 47]. Half-size horizontal ōban must be 12.7 x 38 cm. Richard Waldman and Chris Uhlenbeck say it's tanzaku size (13 x 43 cm). In reality, the prints of this series measure 17 x 38 cm, which corresponds exactly to horizontal o-hosoban paper size. I managed to assemble 11 of allegedly 12 designs. 7 of them have genitals colored by hand. It's hard to tell whether it was done by the publisher on demand of a peculiar buyer, or by the owner of the prints who considered the black and white privy parts unnatural. My sequencing of the prints is arbitrary. Transcription of the text may help find the correct order. As Japanese Erotic Fantasies put it: "a couple engaged in love-making, their stare fixed outside the picture plane". This is the only image of series that has a reference in available western literature, and the only one found in museum collections: Rijksmuseum Amsterdam (RP-P-1999-2001-16); reference: Fukuda (ed.) (1990), pls. 11-2. The scene of this print looks quite similar to that of the Kiyonaga's Sode no maki: The woman is "a young lady-in-waiting of Shogun's Court or Daimyō's Mansion, enjoying a rare outing from her tedious chores" [Richard Lane]. She is fully dressed in her outer cloak (shikake), white paper hat (agebōshi or tsunokakushi), and toed socks (tabi). A book or maybe, onkotogami (roll of tissues known as 'paper for honourable act' ) is still in the folds of her kimono. She is holding an open fan, either to cover her and her lover's faces from an unsolicited witness or to bring some fresh air to their joined lips. The pair just started their sexual intercourse. A scene from medieval times. A courtier in eboshi cap having sex with an aristocratic young woman with a long straight hairstyle (suihatsu). Completely naked couple in the moment of ejaculation. Lavish garments with paulownia leaves on a yellow background counterbalance the white bodies on red bedding. The form of a woman's cheeks is telling, but I don't know about what. Maybe her advanced age? The pose of the couple and the overall composition are similar to that of the previous sheet. Though the lovers are dressed, and the woman's hairdo is well kept. The male looks older and the woman - younger. A man takes a young maid from behind. She clenches the sleeve of her kimono in her teeth; it's either the moment of penetration (beginning of intercourse) or of her orgasm (the end of it). This seems to be a forced intercourse between a lackey with extensive bodily hair and a young maid from the same household. This design is very much like the other one presented below, which is described at Japanese Erotic Fantasies on page 136 (pl. 43b) as follows: "The viewer peers through a mosquito net to see a child fast asleep, while his mother or wet-nurse moves towards her partner. On our print there is no child; instead of a sleeping baby, there is a roll of onkotogami. Fewer objects make the overall image concise, almost laconic in comparison with the Ehon hana fubuki (1802) design: A young couple in a moment of true love. He is listening to the beating of her heart. This is a moment of true love between an old monk and a young samurai. The latter even did not take of his socks (tabi). From Japanese Erotic Fantasies: "Boats played a crucial role in the workings of Yoshiwara, as they were the primary means of transport to the district. During the hot summer months, trips on pleasure boats were also a favourite pastime. Sex aboard a boat is a recurrent theme in shunga". The last print that I am currently lacking and hunting for: I know where it is, but I cannot reach it... yet.
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Artist: Natalia Goncharova (July 3, 1881 – October 17, 1962). Russian/French. Lithographic illustration "An elder astride a bull" for Aleksei Kruchenykh book "Two poems. The Hermit. The Hermitess", Moscow, Kuzmin and Dolinsky Publishers, 1913. This sheet is from the book "Natalia Goncharova / Mikhail Larionov" by Eli Eganbyuri (pen-name of Ilia Zdanevich), published by Z. A. Münster in 1913. Inscription on the back: hand-written copy (allegedly by the hand of Osip Brik) of Vladimir Mayakovsky verses for "Red Pepper" (Krasny peretz) magazine issue of 1924, included in the compilation "Ferocious laugh" (Grozny smekh) that was published after Mayakovsky death in 1931. Text of the manuscript on verso. Size: 18,5 х 14,3 cm. Наталия Гончарова (3 июля 1881 – 17 октября 1962). Россия/Франция. Автолитография "Старец верхом на быке" для книги А. Е. Крученых "Две поэмы. Пустынники. Пустынница"; - М.: Изд. Г.Л. Кузьмина, С.Д. Долинского, 1913. Данный лист из книги Эли Эганбюри (псевдоним Ильи Зданевича) "Наталия Гончарова / Михаил Ларионов"; - М. : Изд. Ц. Мюнстера, 1913. На обороте список стихов из подписей к "Красному перцу" 1924 г., которые вошли в сб. "Грозный смех" (вышел после смерти Маяковского в 1931). Вероятно список сделан рукой Осипа Брика. Текст манускрипта. Формат: 18,5 х 14,3 см.
Г. Л. Кузьмин и С. Д. Долинский знамениты, в частности, тем, что в 1912 году издали футуристский манифест "Пощечина общественному вкусу". О них можно найти дополнительную информацию в статье об Л. Л. Кузьмине. Издатель Цезарь Александрович Мюнстер был сыном знаменитого русского литографа Александра Эрнестовича Мюнстера, открывшего свое литографическое заведение в Санкт-Петербурге в 1850 году. Судьба Ц. А. Мюнстера и его издательства после революции 1917 года мне неизвестна.
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Artist: Natalia Goncharova (July 3, 1881 – October 17, 1962). Russian/French. Lithographic illustration (frontispiece) for Sergei Bobrov book of poetry "The gardeners upon the grapevines", Moscow, Lirika Publishers, 1913. Size: 18 х 11,5 cm.
Book was printed on May 20, 1913 for Lirika Publishers, by V. I. Voronov printshop in 500 copies, of them 50 authored and numbered. 10 lithographs by Natalia Goncharova printed at Kushneryov & Co. lithography in Moscow.
Наталия Гончарова (3 июля 1881 – 17 октября 1962). Россия/Франция. Литографическая иллюстрация (фронтиспис) к книге С. П. Боброва "Вертоградари над лозами" [Сергей Бобров. М.: /Лирика, 1913]. Формат: 18 х 11,5 см.Тираж 500 экз, из них 50 авторизованных и нумерованных. Десять цветных рисунков работы Н. Гончаровой исполнены в технике литографии на отдельных листах. Книга отпечатана 20 мая 1913 года в типографии В.И. Воронова для книгоиздательства «Лирика». В мягкой издательской обложке. На с. 162 после списка литографий: Отпечатаны литографией т-ва И.Н. Кушнерев и К° в Москве.
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Artist: Mikhail Larionov (June 3, 1881 – May 10, 1964) ). Russian/French. Lithographic illustration "Woman in a hat" for Aleksei Kruchenykh book "Lipstick", Moscow, Kuzmin and Dolinsky Publishers, 1913, 480 copies printed. Size: 11,3 х 8,2 cm. Михаил Ларионов (3 июня 1881 – 10 мая 1964). Россия/Франция. Литографическая иллюстрация "Женщина в шляпе" к книге Алексея Крученых "Помада"; М.: Изд. Г.Л. Кузьмина и С.Д. Долинского, 1913, отпечатана в 480 экз. Формат: 11,3 х 8,2 см.