Untitled (Woman looking away from game board)

Seated Warrior

Warrior with Sword, 19th century

Woman Returning from the Torinomachi Festival, 1847

Woman in Fox-dance Near a Flower Arrangement in a Basket, 1846

Osome, the Daughter of the Owner of the Pawnshop Aburaya, ca.1848

Attendant Court Lady at the Kiritsubo Palace, ca. 1843

Joururi-hime and Ushiwaka-maru, 1852

Embarrassed Woman with an Outstanding Debt, ca.1845

Battle Scene: The General Amakasu Omi-no-kami Kagotoki Riding a Brown Horse, 1855

The Courtesan Shigeoka of Okamotoya Brothel, ca.1836

Woman Wearing a Fashionable Kimono: The Chrysanthemum Festival Choyo, 1858

Woman in middle ground kneeling over checkers or game board but looking to her left. TR corner is tapestry of Buddha.

Warrior seated on floor, sword in sheath; behind is garment hanging on mirror.

TR: inset scene. Warrior with sword on hip, holds long weapon.

UR - red text box, followed by lines of poetry

MR - artist's signature followed by circular kiwame seal of approval, followed by publisher's mark and square text boxes, probably with notes on scene from the play.

Warrior stands over woman with sword - scene from play depicting a lover's suicide

TR- inset scene, warrior kneels next to pond - another scene to help viewer identifiy the particular drama it's taken from

UL - lines of text identifying play

UR - blue text box and circular kiwame seal of approval

MR - artist's signature and unidentified red publisher's mark

LR - square mark with diamond in the center, probably a modern collector's mark

The print is probably the center sheet of a triptych. Thousands of visitors to the Torinomachi festival held at Otori shrine are seen in the far distance beyond the rice fields of Asakusa. The festival of the cock (tori) is held annually on the days of the cock in the 11th month. The woman in the print is on her way home carrying various souvenirs on her back She looks back and points at something in the missing left-hand sheet.

Series: Furyu Rokkasen (Fashionable Selections of the Six Flowers)

The romance between the lovers Osome, the daugher of the pawnshop called Aburaya, and an apprentice, Hisamatsu, who committed double suicide on the 6th day of the New Year season, in 1710. The incident was dramatized as ningyo joruri (puppet ballad-dramas) and as kabuki plays which became very popular. The print depicts the eloping Osome. The accompanying left-hand sheet must have shown Hisamatsu.

Series: Nazorae Genji Kyokun Zue (illustrations of Moral Conduct Compared with the Chapters of Tale of Genji). The attendant court lady featured in the first chapter of the Genji Monogatari (Tae of Genji), namely, the Kiritsubo chapter. The court lady had an affair with the emperor and gave birth to Hidaru Genji. The woman is standing by a kiri (paulownia) tree. The poem by the fiction writer Ryukatei Tanekazu (1807-58), reads: "Kuru aki no sawatte otosu hitoha kana" (As autumn arrives--a leaf drops with the mere feel of a finger).

Series: Hodo Yoshitsune Koi no Minamoto Ichidai Kagami (Mirrors on the Love Life of Minamoto Yoshitsune). The text of the handscroll entitled Sanryakuden (The Secrets of Strategy) illustrated in the upper left of the print explains that Joruri-hime, the daughter of a wealthy family, fell in love with Ushiwaka-maru who later became the great warrior Minamoto Yohsitsune. One night when Joruri-hime played koto music Ushiwaka was inspired to play his flute in a duet.

Series: Myodensu Juroku Rikan (Sixteen Wonderful Considerations of Profit). A seated woman suffering from financial woes. The hanging scroll depicts one of the sixteen disciples of Buddha who is attributed with the skill of exorcising large debts.

The Minister of the Right, Minamoto Yoritomo Setting Thousands of Cranes Free in Front of Tsurugaoka Hachiman Shrine, Kamakura to Receive the Blessing of a Pious and Virtuous Life, 1845

Series: Sugata no Hana Bijin Kurabe (Comparison of Beauties with Flowers)

Series: Tosei Bijin Gosekku no Uchi (Contemporary Beauties in the Five Annual Festivals).

The artist Kunitsuna was a pupil of Utagawa Toykuni I, and he used the Utagawa name. (the Utagawa school). To enrich the design he employed Sunagozuri (sprinkled gold dust effect) on the background. The Chrysanthemum Festival was one of the Gosekku (The Five Annual

Festivals):Shogatsu, New Year's days (the first 7th day of the year) Hina, Doll's Festival; girls' day (the 3rd of the 3rd month) Tango, the boys' Festival (the 5th day of the 5th month) Tanabata, the Festival of the Weaver (the 7th day of the 7th month) Choyo, the Chrysanthemum Festival (the 9th day of the 9th month)