Yoshu Chikanobu, 1838-1912

Preparatory Drawing with Print of 'Annual Events and Customs of the Eastern Capital: Sixth Month'
(Azuma fuzoku nenju gyoji: Roku-gatsu)

the sumi ink on paper preparatory drawing with reddish-brown under-drawing and two small areas with pasted slips of paper adjusting the composition, with lobed (collector's?) seal at lower right corner, Kuniyoshi; the print with beautiful carving and printing of the beauty's hair spilling over her shoulders and karazuri (blind printing) to suggest the texture of the fabric of her robe, signed Yoshu Chikanobu with red Toshidama seal, dated in the publisher's cat-shaped seal Meiji nijusannen -gatsu -ka insatsu (printed in Meiji 23 [1890] -month -day), Donen -gatsu -ka shuppan (published in the same year -month -day), followed by the publishers information, Insatsuken hakkosha Hasegawa Sonokichi, with his address in Nihonbashi-ku, 1890

drawing 15 1/4 by 9 1/2 in., 38.7 by 24 cm
oban tate-e 14 1/2 by 9 3/4 in., 36.9 by 24.7

This lovely image of a beauty on a second-story verandah is from a relatively scarce bijin series depicting events related to monthly festivities published by Hasegawa Sonokichi in 1890. Dressed in a light-weight yukata (cotton robe) and holding a fan decorated with the tomoe-mon (comma-shaped crest used to ward off evil spirits), she leans over the railing to take in the joyous revelers passing by in a procession carrying a mikoshi (sacred religiouis palanquin) and waving their fans decorated with the tomoe-mon during what appears to be the Sanja Matsuri celebrated at the Asakusa Shrine in Tokyo.

Reference:
Yoshu Chikanobu, Hiraki Ukiyo-e Foundation, 2012, p. 53, no. 69
(inv. no. C-1779)

$5,300