unknown osaka artist

c. 1850's

Cut-out paintings on paper applied to backing paper with the costumes in luxurious silk brocades. This unusual and rare mixed-media painting format called oshi-e or Kirikome-e was made in the Kamigata area (Osaka-Kyoto) during the Edo period.

18,5 x 21 cm

Some examples made in the same technique found in the web:

Utagawa Kuniyoshi
(1797 – 1861)

Seichû gishin meimei kagami
Mirror of the True Loyalty of the Faithful Retainers
1857

Yazama Jûjirô Moto-oki, one of the 47 Ronin, fighting with crossed swords by a sand pit with an overturned brazier

Signature: Ichiyusai Kuniyoshi
Publisher: Ise-ya Isaburô
Date: snake 3/1857
Censor seal: aratame
Excellent 1st edition print with fine impression and condition and very good colours.
With rich powder for the flying sand. With albumbacking.
Upper area lightly soiled, margins trimmed.
oban tate-e 24.5 x 37.0 cm
see in B.W. Robinson "Warrior Prints" S90.13 (listed as not seen)

Utagawa Kuniyoshi
(1797 – 1861)

Two Sumi brush drawings on thin Japanese Paper
c. 1830's

a. Warrior fighting off an attacker on a rooftop.

The print after that drawing. From the series:
Eight Hundred Heroes of Our Country's Suikoden, One by One
Scene: Inudzuka Shino Moritaka resisting arrest on the Hôryûkaku roof
Date: c.1830/36
Robinson: S4a.3

b. Oiran (courtesan) in the garden

Preparatory drawings for woodblock prints.
Overall very good condition and impression. Creased and folded at edges. Minor marks and flaws.
each 27,3 x 37,4 cm

Grateful thanks to P.J. for identifying the print to the first drawing.

Utagawa Kuniyoshi
(1798-1861)

Taiheiki Eiyuden
Heroic Stories of the Taiheiki

Sakurai Takichi Kiyokazu / Sakurai Sakichi

Sakurai Sakichi armoured, carrying a sashimono (flag) with black discs containing the junishi (12 signs of the Zodiac) surrounding the character sakigake (leader). Making a great stroke with his naginata (weapon with long curved blade).
Sakurai Sakichi is known as one of the three famous swordsmen of the Shizugamine battle in 1583.

Signature: Ichiyusai Kuniyoshi ga
Censor: Mera and Murata
Publisher: Yamamoto-ya Heikichi
Date: 1848/49
Text on top: Ryukatei Tanekazu, 1807-1858
oban tate-e approx- 35,5 x 24,5 cm
see in B.W. Robinson "Warrior Prints", S62.34

I really like that it shows heavy age wear. Framed with a black cardboard underlying it shows all the wormholes and tears which makes it appear pretty rough, like a battle flag.
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Yoshitaki
(1841 - 1899)

Kabuki actor
c. 1870's

chuban tate-e 19 x 26 cm

Utagawa Sadahide
(1807 - 1873)

Zen Taiheiki Tsukushi Katsuzen no Zu
Fire under the Star Light
1843-50

Signature: Gyokuransai Sadahide
Publisher: Yamaguchiya Tobei
Censors seals: Hama and Magome
oban triptych 36.5 cm x 75 cm
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Katsukawa Shuntei
(1770 - 1820)

Yoshinaka's battle at Hinogawa in the northern provinces.

left to right: Nenoi fighting Ishida, Yoshinaka's wife Tomoe Gozen fighting Uchida Saburo, Imai Shiro and kiso Yoshinaka in the right sheet.
Dramatic battle silhouette in the backround that reminds me of nearly abstract 20th century prints like HAB Grieshaber's.
c. 1800's

Publisher: Yamaguchiya Tobei
oban triptych, approx. 37 x 75,7 cm

A better edition:

Ando Hiroshige
(1797 - 1858)

Tokaido Gojusan no Uchi
The Fifty-Three Stations of the Tokaido / Hoeido Tokaido
Station no.13 Namazu / Numazu-juku (沼津宿)

Travellers walking along the river bank, lined with trees, towards the village ahead, under a huge full moon in a deep blue sky, one of them carrying on his back a large Tengu mask, the mark of a pilgrim to the Shinto shrine of Kompira on Shikoku Island. Dark forest of trees on further shore of river.

Publisher: Takenouchi Magohachi (Hoeido)
oban yoko-e
Overall indifferent condition with heavy age wear but still good impression.
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I believe that this print was made from the first plates. There is a typical irregular white dot in the water above of the river bank left of the trees in the foreground as you can see on the print below. You may not find it on later recarved editions.




Tengu masks

Tengu (天狗?, "heavenly dogs") are a class of supernatural creatures found in Japanese folklore, art, theater, and literature. They are one of the best known yōkai (monster-spirits) and are sometimes worshipped as Shinto kami (revered spirits or gods).

Additional pictures and quote found at Wikipedia

Ikeda Eisen
(1790-1848).

Doublepage from the Ehon "Buyu sakigake zu-e"
Pictures of brave warriors

sumizuri-e
1838 (tempo 9)
hanshi-bon 22,5 x 27 cm
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Katsushika Hokusai
(1760 - 1849)

Kanadehon Chushingura
Act 6
1806

From a series of 11 prints, only two with censor and date seal.


In 1702, Lord Asano of Ako was provoked by Kira Kozukenosuke Yoshinaka into drawing his sword in the shogun's palace, for which he was forced to take his own life, and his estate was confiscated. Forty-seven of Lord Asano's retainers, who were now ronin - samurai without masters, planned and carried out a successful attack on Kira's palace. Kira's head was cut off with the same dagger Lord Asano used to commit seppuku. The 46 surviving ronin then took their own lives. These events were made into the famous play, Kanadehon Chushingura.

Publisher: Tsuru-ya Kinsuke
oban yoko-e 37 x 26 cm
The natural colours are still nice and delicate but faded. Some gauffrage in the sky, thick hosho paper.

Print from the same series.
Act 11

Kan'non Reigen-ki - Miraculous story of the Goddess of Mercy
Pilgrimage place in the West / Temple no. 15
Story: Goshirokawa No In
Landscape and architecture by Hiroshige, scene by Toyokuni

Signature / Signatur: Toyokuni ga / Hiroshige ga
Publisher / Verleger: Yamadaya Shorjiro
Carver's seal / Holzschneidersiegel: hori Take (Yokogawa Takejiro)
Date / Datierung: 1859
Dimension / Format: oban tate-e, h 35,8 x 24,3 cm

Utagawa Yoshiiku
(1833 - 1904)

Imayo Nazorae Genji
Modern comparison of the Tale of Genji

Chapter 41: Maboroshi
Taira no Tomomori with anchor at the Battle of Dan-no-ura in 1185
Showing him in agony, wounded by arrows, bound to an anchor, drowning...
c.1863-1864

Signature: Ikkeisai Yoshiiku ga with Yoshi kiri seal
Publisher: Omiya Hisagiro
oban tate-e
Lit.: Arendie Herwig and Henk J. Herwig "Heroes of the Kabuki Stage (...)", 2005, p.171


Chapter 19: Usugumo
The sumo wrestler Nuregami Chogoro on a shore with three followers bowing.
c.1863-1864

Signature: Ikkeisai Yoshiiku ga with Yoshi kiri seal
Publisher: Omiya Hisagiro
Carver: Hori ko ??
oban tate-e

unsigned

Kataoka Gato II as Tomi Maru

Play: Katakiuchi Sozenji Waba performed at the Takeda Theatre 5/1865
Lit.: Ikeda Bunko IV, 696
chuban tate-e 18,5 x 24,5 cm

Utagawa Kuniyoshi
(1798 - 1861)

Kokon honchô meijo hyaku den
A hundred stories of famous women and men of our country, ancient and modern
Kusunoki Masaahige in court robes seated beside a celestial globe
c.1843

Publisher: Kawaguchi-ya Uhei
Censor: Muramatsu
Rare print, overall good impression and condition, very good color, minor marks, stains and flaws, little red spot at lower margin, some unbacked holes, little paper loss and peppering at upper right corner and along the right margin
oban tate-e, fullsize 37,7 x 25,5 cm
see in B.W. Robinsons "Warrior Prints" S30.10

Hirosada
(active 1820-60)

top
Okubi-e of two not identified actors

bottom
Okubi-e of Nakamura Utaemon IV as the ghost Takechi Samanosuke and
Nakamura Tamashichi I as Sutewakamura in the Kabuki play Keisei Chigo-ga-Fuchi.

1852
each chuban tate-e, 16,5 x 25 cm


A similar print, showing another play, can be found in "Hirosada - Osaka Printmaker", 1984 by The Unversity Art Museum; p.72, number 56

Toyokuni III (Kunisada) and Hiroshige II

Kan'non Reigen-ki - Miraculous story of the Goddess of Mercy
Pilgrimage place in the West /Temple no.10
Story: Yamahu Nojo
Landscape and architecture by Hiroshige, scene by Toyokuni

Signature: Toyokuni ga / Hiroshige
Date: 1858
Publisher: Yamadaya Shorjiro
Size: oban tae-e, h 35,8 x 24,3 cm

Utagawa Kuniyoshi
(1798 - 1861)

Prince Genji and two ladies watching the cherry-blossom.

Publisher: Mikawa-ya Tetsugorô (Santetsu)
Carver: hori ko Shoji (Tsuge Shojiro)
Censors's seal: aratame
Date: tiger 8/1854
oban tate-e triptych

Grateful thanks to Mr. W.P. for informations about the publisher.

Utagawa Kuniyoshi
(1798 - 1861)

Heishôgoku Nyûdô wa Go-Shirakawa-tei no otoshigo nite

Kiyomori at Miyajima arresting the sunset by incantations, so that work could proceed on his new buildings
c. 1842-1843

Publisher: Tsuji-ya Yasubei
oban tate-e triptych
ex-collection B.W. Robinson
see B.W. Robinson "Warrior Prints" plate 42,T83
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The very first print I have purchased. I am still finding new details that catch me. Great design, fascinating composition with the woman's white face right in the centre of the triptych.

Hirosada
(active c. 1820 - 60)

Jitsukawa Ensaburo I as Kizu Kansuke

Kabuki play Sao no uta kizugawa hakkei
performed at Naka theatre, 8/1849
Centre sheet of a triptych
chuban tate-e approx. 17 x 25 cm



Thanks for the information and the foto of the triptych to J.V.
Also to be found in "Hirosada - Osaka Printmaker", 1984 by The Unversity Art Museum
p.18 fig.6
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