DEALE UNIVERSITYII >SCHOOL OF THE PINE ARTS < BOARD OF EDUCATION, SOUTH KENSINGTON, VICTORIA AND ALBERT MUSEUM. JAPANESE COLOUR PRINTS BY EDWARD F: STRANGE WITH NUMEROUS ILLUSTRATIONS. LONDON : PRINTED FOR HIS MAJESTY'S STATIONERY OFFICE, By WYMAN AND SONS, Limited, Fetter Lane, E.C, 1904. To be purchased, either directly or through any Bookseller, from EYRE and SPOTTISWOODE, East Harding Street, Fleet Street, E.C. OLIVER and BOYD, Edinburgh; or E PONSONBY, 116, Grafton Street, Dublin, or on personal application at the Catalogue Stall, Victoria and Albert Museum, S.W. Tea IS 9of S" Price: — C "rice at Museum *n Paper Wrapper, and Tw "I „ ; in Cloth Cover, CONTENTS. Page Preface iv List of Illustrations vi Chapter. 1 — Introduction 1 II. — The Torii School 9 „ III. — The Period of Harunobu 16 „ IV. — Utamaro, Yeishi and Yeizan 28 „ V. — The Utagawas 37 , VI. — Hokusai .. .. ..: 50 „ VII. — The Osaka group 64 „ VIII. — The Pupils of Kunisada and Kuniyoshi 71 „ IX. — Landscape . . 81 ,, X. — Surimono .. 97 „ XI. — Technique .. 105 ,, XII.— Subjects 117 „ XIII.— A Japanese History of Engraving 126 Chronology . . . . . . 129 Reproductions of Signatures, with Key 133 Index 145 7618.— 1000. Wt. 16146. 7/04. Wy. & S. 1973»\ PREFACE. Since the appearance, in 1897, of my first book on this subject, Japanese Illustration (London, G. Bell & Sons), a great deal of addi tional information on the subject of the colour prints and their makers, has come into my hands ; which has necessitated the revision of some of the statements therein contained, and the abandonment or modification of more than one of the conclusions to which the facts, as then available, had led me. This is especially the case in the account of the relationship between Harunobu andKoriusai, and between the artists named Hiroshige. In the former instance, I have had to give up my theory ; in the latter, it is now proved to demonstration, to have been correct in all essentials. In the compilation of this volume, I have had the valuable assistance of Mr. R. Kohitsu, the representative of a family which for several generations has followed, in Japan, the hereditary calling of the professional art expert. He has kindly translated and collated all the Japanese published accounts of the artists of the Popu lar School ; and so has enabled me to verify or correct the bio graphical accounts of them already given by myself and other European writers. The translations of titles of books and prints made by him for the National Art Library, have also proved a most fruitful source of information ; as have those previously done by Mr. G. Kowaki and Mr. K. Minakata for the same institution. I have to acknowledge, not only the kind personal assistance given me by Mr. Arthur Morrison ; but also the invaluable aid afforded by his writings on " The Painters of Japan " in " The Monthly Review " PREFACE. V (1902) ; thejnost authentic and satisfactory essay on the subject of Japanese painting yet produced in any western country. The catalogue of the Hayashi sale, and the exhaustive monograph by M. Revon on " Hokusai " have also been of great service. Lastly, I am glad to thank Mr. L. W. Micheletti, of the National Art Library, for his help in my study of the many thousand prints in that collection. Edward F. Strange. Victoria and Albert Museum, South Kensington. LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. Plate. Buncho, Ippitsusai. — Portrait of Tamagiku at Nakamanjiya, with a view of the river at Mimeguri (J. 5260) - - i Gakutei. — Sagawara-no-Michizane and Rin-Wa-Sei, the Japanese and Chinese lovers of the Peach blossom (J. 5121) - - ii Gakutei. — A courtesan with emblems of the Taoist Sage, Gama Sennin (J. 5114) - - iii GEKKO. — Woman in a garden of sweet flags (J. 5589) iv Gokei. — Komurasaki of the Yoshiwara with a companion and lover on New Year's Day (J. 5208) v GosHICHl. — A Beauty of the Yoshiwara in time of Cherry-blossom (J. 5627) vi H.VNZAN. — Street performers of Niwaka, a comic play (J. 5634) vii HARUNOBU, Suzuki. — Making a snow dog (J. 5042) viii H.VRUNOBU, Suzuki. — A Beauty of the Yoshiwara and attendants (J. 5206) - ix — HlROSADA. — Theatrical scene: Munemori, Kiyomori and Tokiwa-no-Mai (J. 71) - - - x HIROSHIGE I. — Lake Biwa : the Autumn moon from Ishiyama (J. 770) xi Hiroshige I. — The Shinto Temple of Massaki, Yedo, in snow (J. 534) xii Hiroshige I. — Specimen-sheet, made for a dealer in shell-work (J. 5983) xiii Hiroshige II. — Eagle and snow. Erom the "Hundred Views of Yedo." (J. 349) - - - xiv Hiroshige II. — Illustration to the Story of Prince Genji (J. 5045) ¦ xv Hiroshige II. — Yoshitsune and Benkei (J. 5981) xvi Hokkei.— Feeding a Yen Ryo (Salt Dragon) (J. 5644) - xvii HoiCKEl. — Inasayama, at the entrance to the harbour of Nagasaki, with a European ship saluting (J. 5237) -xviii HoKUJC, Shotei. — Saru-bashi (Monkey-bridge) in Koshu province. Drawn from nature (J. 5253) xix HOKUSAI (Shunro). — Seiobo. with attendants, receiving offerings of fruit (J. 4904) xx Hokusai. — Ladies gathering fungi (J. 5247) xxi Hokusai. — Tofiizokusugata-no surimon. Surimono of Yedo Customs. A singing-girl. Dated, year of the monkey, Kwansei 12 = A.D. 1800. (J. 4799) - xxii Hokusai. — Fisherman at Koshiu Ishikata. One of the thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji (J. 5749) - xxiii Hokusai (Katsushika Taito). — Carp (J. 5312) • xxiv LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. vii Plate. =Hokuyei.— Actor in character (J. 6573) - xxv Kikumaro. — Portrait of Ainare engaged in the Tea Ceremony (J. 5846) -xxvi Kiyomine — Woman playing the Tsuzumi (J. 4832)- xxvii Kiyomine (Kiyomitsu II).— Singing girl (J. 5987) xxviii - Kiyomitsu I.— The actor Bando Hiko-saburo in character (J. 5261) xxix Kiyonaga. —Portrait of Segawa, a beauty of the Yoshiwara (J. 4889) xxx Kiyonobu (Torii).— Two lovers (J. 4848) xxxi Koriusai. — Sunlight, pine-trees and cranes (J. 5259) • xxxii Koriusai. — Crow and heron, typifying the contrast between black and white (J. 5707) - " - - xxxiii Koriusai. — Portrait of Hanaogi, a beauty of the Yoshiwara (J. 5041) xxxiv Kunihisa. — The actor Baudo Mitsugoro in character (J. 4942) xxxv ,KUNIMASA. — The actors Sawaniura Sojiuro and Segawa Kikusabnro in character (J. 4944) - xxxvi KUNINAO.— A singing girl (J. 4916) xxxvii Kunisada, Kochoro.— Portrait of Komurasaki, a beauty of the Yoshi wara (J. 5302) - ' - xxxviii Kunisada (Toyokuni).— One of the Views of the Tokaido (J. 1235) xxxix Kunisada II (Kunimasa II).— The spirit of a waterfall (J. 6675) xl Kuniyoshi.— One ofthe Hundred and eight Chinese Heroes (J. 2580) xii KuNIYOSHl. — Design for a colour print. Original Drawing from tbe sketch book of Kuniyoshi (J. D. 2) - - xlii KYOSAI, Shojo. — Hotei wading through the sea with three children in his pack (J. 6306) • -xliii Masanobu (Okumura). — Singing-girls in Spring time (J. 5529) - xliv Niho.— Landscape in snow (J. 5657) xiv Sadanobu. — Wild Geese alighting at Katada, Lake Biwa. One of the " Eight Views " (J. 6322) - xlvi ' SADANOBU. — The actor Nakamura Utayemon dressing for the part of Kono Moronao (J. 6577) . - xlvii SENCHO, Teisai. — A beauty of the Yoshiwara (J. 6534) xlviii ,SHIGEHARU, Ryusai. — The actor Nakamura Utayemon performing the " Lion Dance" (J- 5174) - ... -xlix SHIGENOBU. — A beauty of the Yoshiwara (J. 5160) 1 Shiko.— Singing-girls (J. 4918) - li Shinsai.— Yebisn on a monster Tai fish (J. 5132) Hi Shuncho. — Theatrical scene, with musicians (J. 4931) • liii Shuncho. — Portrait of Hanaogi, a beauty of the Yoshiwara (J. 4886) - liv Shunko.— A dance (J. 5294) lv Shunkyo, Katsu (gawa). — A beauty of the Yoshiwara (J. 4840) lvi SHUNSEN, — Portrait of Hanaogi, a beauty of the Yoshiwara (J. 5982) - lvii viii JAPANESE COLOUR PRINTS. Plate. SHUNSHO.— A dance (J. 5282) - - - - lviii Shunsho. — Women rearing silkworms (J. 6745) lix Shunsui. — Atsumori and Kumagai (J. 4921) lx Shunyei.— Asahina Saburo wrestling with Soga Goro (J. 4922) lxi Shunzan. — Scene at the Gate of the Temple of Asakusa (J. 5003) Ixii Terushige, Katsukawa. — Man and woman warming themselves under a Kotatsu. Coloured by hand (J. 5273) lxiii Toshikata. — Feeding carp in time of wistaria blossom (J. 5612) - lxiv Tosiiinobu, Okumura. — Traveller led by woman as a. guide. Lacquer print (J. 5209) - - lxv TOYOHARU, Utagawa. — The arrest of Mambashi Chiuya (J. 5741) lxvi Toyohiro. — One of the Six Views of the Tamagawa (J. 6312) - - lxvii ToyohisA. — Portrait of a beauty of the Yoshiwara, Somekawa of Matsubaya (J. 5986) Ixviii Toyokuni I. — A noble youth with attendants visiting a Temple (J. 5055) lxix Toyokuni I. — The actor Iwai Kumesaburo in the part of the murderess Ko-ume, wife of Ume-no- Yoshibei (J. 4038) lxx Toyokuni I. — Theatrical scene. Totoki Denshichi fighting with the murderer of his father (J. 4036) lxxi Toyokuni, Gosotei.— The Tamagawa (river) by moonlight (J. 5241) - lxxii Toyokuni, Gosotei (Toyoshige). — The actor Iwai Kumesaburo in a female part (J. 4063) '- lxxiii Toyomasa, lshikawa. — Children playing at the game of the eighth month (J. 5231) - - lxxiv Utamaro. — Women after a bath (J. 5731) Ixxv Utamaro. — Portrait of a beauty of the Yoshiwara, Yoso-oi of Matsubaya (J. 5039)- lxxvi Utamaro. — Women making colour prints (J. 5040) lxxvii Yeiri, Rekisentei. — The house of a noble, with ladies looking through a screen (J. 4891) lxxviii Yeisen, Keisai. — Fishing with trained cormorants on the Nagara river at Mino (J. 5210) lxxix Yeisen, Keisai. — A Beauty of the Yoshiwara (J. 6668) - lxxx Yeishi. — Scene from the " Story of Prince Genji," represented by women (J. 5050)- ¦ - lxxxi Yeisho. —Portrait of a beauty of the Yoshiwara, Yoso-oi, of Matsubaya (J. 5204) - - - . 'ixxxa; YeizaN, Kikugawa. Singing girls on a balcony (J. 4107) lxxxiii- * Yoshiyuki. — View near Osaka (J. 4568) Ixxxiv NOTE.— The references are to the press-marks of the originals, all of which are in the National Art Library, Victoria and Albert Museum. I. INTRODUCTION. A COLLECTION of Japanese colour prints may be made from either of two points of view. That of the amateur will be so chosen as to include good examples of each artist of import ance ; more attention being paid to an adequate representation of his style, whatever its intrinsic merits, than to any other consideration, and to the attainment of series of sets of work of this nature so com plete as to include that of even the rarest practitioners of the art. Perhaps the most typical collection of this class was that of M. Hayashi* sold in Paris in June, 1902. This contained a large number of prints by men whose names are seldom met with, and who are not represented at all in the National Art Library at the Victoria and Albert Museum, South Kensington. f They belong to the earlier schools, little or nothing is known about them, and their work has small practical value for the student or designer. On the other hand, the Library possesses very large numbers of prints by later men, who have not generally been deemed worthy of the attention of the collector. These prints are richer in colour than those just referred to : they are filled with examples of costume, furniture, and all sorts of utensils; and, if they are inferior in absolute artistic merit, they are of inestimably greater utility for these reasons to the designer, the craftsman, and the student of the applied arts of Japan. While the endeavour has been to secure such examples of the use of the art as will explain fully its development and technique, the greater part of the collection has been acquired for the sake of * Collection Hayashi : Estampes, Dessins, Livres iliustres. (Sale Catalogue) Paris, 1902. t Subsequently referred to as " The Library." 7618. A 2 JAPANESE COLOUR PRINTS. subject only; and this is the explanation of the apparently over whelming preponderance given to the work of artists of less than the first rank. One of the most amazing characteristics of the Japanese colour printers of the first half of the nineteenth century is their almost inexhaustible fertility of invention, not in idea, but in ar rangement, in colour scheme, in details of pattern and accessories. Among many thousands of prints of this school which the author has examined, he has found only a very few which possess any close resemblance to each other ; a fact of some note in view of the circum stances under which they were produced. The collection, then, is essentially one to be used, and not hoarded simply for the satisfaction of the curious. To the book illustrator, and especially the maker of posters, it offers a superb series of ex amples of the proper use of line in conjunction with masses of flat colour, of the effective placing of one or more figures in a panel, of a disposition of the lettering, signatures and seals, which, as a rule, is inevitably right ; in short, of composition which always implies due correlation of the various elements of the picture. The designer will find here an endless variety of pattern and combination of colour, the latter almost always in good taste and practicable. For the student of the other arts of Japan, there are illustrations of archi tecture, of domestic interiors, of arms and armour, of lacquer, metal- work, musical instruments, and details of dress and articles of personal adornment, all set forth in such a way as to show not only their form but their daily uses. And, lastly, the sociologist can study in these prints much of the daily life of the people, more par ticularly of the lower orders, and the favourite legends and histories of a nation far richer than many in such lore. It was for good reasons that the school of painters, of which the colour print makers. are the most humble but best known section, received the name of Ukiyo-ye — Mirror of the Passing World. The very existence of such a school amid the more highly cultured classes of Japanese painters, all devoted with Oriental singleminded- INTRODUCTION. 3 ness and conservatism to one or the other of the accepted conven tions, is a matter of interest too great to be passed by casually. In Europe, the religious paintings of the Greek Church alone afford any parallel to the severity of limitation imposed upon the followers of the various schools of painting into which the aristocratic art of Japan has been divided for many generations. And yet the latter are superior in range of subject and in the intellectual treatment of it. They have little, even in the Buddhistic school — of the abso lutely inartistic fetters of the former, fetters classing its whole output as mere repetitions of traditional designs ; in the making of which there is room for no variation other than that supplied by difference of technical skill or material. The distinction between the Japanese schools, always easily recognisable, is yet invariably one of style ; and this has never prevented the full development of the individu ality of the artist. But the subjects, in so far as they dealt with the figure, whether religious or secular, were abstractions and essentially idealistic. The realistic portrayal of contemporary life was con sidered vulgar ; and the standard of excellence was based on refine ment of thought and colour, coupled with a supreme quality of calligraphic line in which the Japanese have been unequalled by any except certain of the old Chinese painters. All these schools have kept their characteristics unblemished up to the present day, by a close system of what one might call artistic heredity. The relations between master and pupil were to a great extent those of father and son. The master not only taught his pupil ; but, as a certificate of merit, transmitted to the latter, his name either wholly or in part. The artists were of good social standing, and held definite rank in the retinues of the Mikado and of the great nobles for whom they worked. The common people, the artisan, tradesman and peasant classes, had in old days no pictorial art of their own. It was the development of an internal movement to supply it, that produced the work with which this volume deals. The relation of the designers of colour prints to painters of higher 7618. A 2 4 JAPANESE COLOUR PRINTS. degree is by no means easy to make clear to European comprehension. The former were indeed painters — a fact which has not been too widely grasped hitherto. They had little to do with the process of reproduction of their designs, beyond supplying the drawings and indicating the colour schemes. In their more exalted moments they painted as did their brethren of better rank. And it is curious and enlightening to note, that such few references to them as can be found in Japanese critical writings on art, almost invariably relate to this portion only of their work, a phase hardly known to many collectors of their colour prints. The Japanese writer ignores the latter, the mere pot-boiling of the artist's life, and recognises but the pure brush-work which showed forth his more serious efforts and aspira tions. Of those later men, whose painting was unimportant, we find practically no biographical or critical record. It must then be understood at the outset that painting was the business in life of the best of these artists. The engraving and printing were each done by separate craftsmen ; possibly, during the best period, under the supervision of the artist, though there is no definite evidence to support that theory, and some indications exist to the contrary. The artists are not known, in any single case, them selves to have cut or printed their drawings. Many of them, indeed, produced enormous numbers of designs for prints ; but the extent of their output in this direction will not be astonishing to anyone ac quainted with the extraordinary facility possessed by the Japanese draughtsman, and the small demand made on his imaginative faculties by this part of his work. On the other hand, it is certain that the leaders prided themselves chiefly on their painting; and it is probable that all practised that highest form of their art whenever they had the opportunity. Now, Japanese painting of the higher order is not a mere formless exotic of culture. It has developed on lines which allow a more accurate classification than does the art of any European nation. The style and method of drawing of the Japanese artist enable him INTRODUCTION. 5 to be placed exactly in the precise school to which he belongs. If he has a mixture of two styles, the characteristics of each will be present. And these schools are so wonderfully conservative and so clearly delimited, that at the present day each has its followers, faith ful and easily recognisable as in the sixteenth century. The one element of chaos has been that arising from the imperfect assimilation of European taste and methods on the part of, fortunately, only a few painters. Japanese painters are classified under one or the other of the following schools — the Buddhist, Tosa, Chinese, Kano, Shijo, Ukiyoye, and a few others of less importance. All the designers of colour prints belong to the Ukiyoye (" Mirror of the Passing World") School, a group which has taken its name from the nature of the sub jects generally, but not invariably, depicted by it. The student is warned against jumping to the conclusion, however, that this choice of subject furnishes the ground for the classification. That rests mainly on, as has been pointed out above, a characteristic style and method of technique. Artists of several schools have at times chosen subjects from the same source ; but it is the style and not the subject that rules Japanese, as any other sensible system of grouping painters. The historical origin of the Ukiyoye School has been the subject of a- good deal of mis-statement and confusion until quite recently, when it was cleared up and authentically set forth for the first time by Mr. Arthur Morrison.* Its founder, Iwasa Matabei (or Matahei) was of good family, the son of Araki Murashige, Daimyo of Itami, in the province of Settsu, who killed himself as a consequence of an unsuccessful struggle with the great Nobunaga in 1579. Matabei, then a child, was saved by his nurse ; and after the death of Nobunaga, obtained some sort of office in the train of the latter's successor, Nobuo, receiving some lessons in painting from a former retainer of his father, Shigesato, a pupil of Kano Shoyei. Later on he studied * The Painters of Japan. In The Monthly Review, November, 1902. 6 JAPANESE COLOUR PRINTS. for a short time under Tosa Mitsunori ; but he was essentially a self- trained artist, in whose work more of his own individuality is seen than of the methods of either the Kano or Tosa School. Matabei rarely put his name to his paintings. " He is said to have pursued his art, like a true artist, for its own sake, and to have held in con tempt that general approval from his inferiors which we should call fame " (Morrison). He was employed, to a considerable extent, by the Shogun Iyemitsu; and died when executing a large order for decoration of screens, etc., which were to form part of the dowry of Chiyohime, the daughter of Iyemitsu. His death took place at Yedo on the 23rd day of the sixth month of the year 1650, at the age of seventy-three. Matabei used also the names Sho-i and Katsu- mochi; his contemporaries called him, by reason of his new style, Ukiyo Matabei. He was followed by a son, Matabei II. (Iwasa Genbei,.Katsushige), whose work was also, as a rule, unsigned, and has therefore been generally confused with that of his father, whose style it follows closely. This painter died on the 20th dayof the second month, 1673. The productions of these two artists were distinguished by the names, Sho-i Matabei and Katsushige Matabei. But additional confusion arose by the discovery that a third contemporary painter, a native of Kyoto, named Tosa Sho-ij had painted in their style, though without their merit; while a fourth artist, who lived atOtsu, near Kyoto, actually held the same name as the two first, though it was written differently, with two syllabic characters instead of three. This man was the principal maker of Otsuye (Otsu pictures), rough coloured caricatures which were probably the precursors of the colour prints.* He is said to have died during the period Kioho (1716-1735), at the age of eighty-nine. Hitherto, all the productions of these four men have been indis criminately grouped together under the one name. It must now be clearly stated that the first, Iwasa Matabei was, however, the founder * So accepted by the colour-print artists themselves, see below, page 10. INTRODUCTION. 7 of the school- ; and to distinguish him from the last, whose paintings had an undoubted technical influence on the special form of art, the colour prints — which are the subject of this volume — it is now con veniently agreed to adopt the spelling " Matabei " for the great painter who made the style, and Matahei, for the inferior caricaturist who, more or less, suggested the colour prints. Although Matabei lived long before the beginning of the period of the coloured wood engravings, his work should be studied for the sake of the principles formulated therein, the derived effect of which is so strongly characteristic of the Ukiyoye artists of the eighteenth century. " His style," says Mr. Morrison, " was at the same time delicate and broad; striking, though never strained or violent effects of colour and mass were aimed at, doubtless because much of the painter's work was the decoration of screens. Matabei was a great colourist, his drawing was forcible and bold, and he never sacrificed ' size ' of design to mere prettiness." * It is not necessary for present purposes to discuss the earlier painters of the Ukiyoye at greater length ; beyond pointing out that Hishigawa Moronobu is not entitled, as has been claimed, to the credit of a revival of painting in this style in 1670. The first Mata bei lived till 1650 ; the second until 1673, a date which overlaps that of Moronobu ; while several painters flourished in the generation next before that of the latter, who were avowed pupils of Matabei. Moronobu himself, by the adoption of the name Kichibei, acknow ledged the sources of his method, and with him begins the great popularity of the engraved painting. A speculation as to a possible origin of colour printing in Japan may be raised on the following facts. In the year 1543, Europeans landed at the island of Tanegashima, and the propagation of Christi anity soon began to flourish with great vigour under the auspices of St. Francis Xavier, whose mission dates from 1549. At the end of the * A reproduction of an authentic painting by Matabei illustrated the article in The Monthly Revieiv, quoted above. s Japanese colour prints. century there were over 150,000 professed Christians in the Empire, including many of the leading nobles. In 1583 an embassy of four youths of high degree was sent to Rome, bearing valuable presents of the art-work of the country. It returned after some years, bringing in exchange a variety of art objects associated with Christianity, and accompanied by a new group of missionaries. Now, it is worth while to point out, in the first place, that the Euro pean art of so-called Chiaroscuro engraving is in all essentials identical with that of Japanese colour printing. It was largely in vogue during the period of the Japanese Embassy to the Pope, and its subjects were to a great extent of a religious nature. Nothing is more probable than that prints of saints and similar subjects should have been among the objects brought home by the Ambassadors from Italy. The extermination of the Christians which took place in the seven teenth century, and the destruction of all that could be discovered and identified with them, would be a sufficient reason for no imita tions — even of the process — being attempted for a long while. But we know that that destruction was not complete, and that Christian tokens have survived even until our time. It seems, therefore, not entirely vain to point out that the accidental sight of one of the Italian colour prints may have suggested the process to the Japanese, at a time sufficiently remote from the reaction against Christianity for it to have been safely followed up. Some of the gifts brought from Rome are now in the museum at Nara ; whether these include prints the author is unable to say. But in the hope that further research may throw a light on this theory — now advanced for the first time — he has considered it advisable to point out the possi bility, and so give an indication of one direction in which future investigations may be carried on. At the same time, however, the existence in China of a process of printing in colours must not be lost sight of. II. THE TORII SCHOOL. The one man from whose influence sprang the whole art of colour printing was Hishikawa Moronobu, the son of a celebrated em broiderer, Hishikawa Mitsutaki, from whom in youth he learned both his father's handicraft and the art of designing for it. He was born at Hoda in the province of Awa, in 1638, and in early life worked at Yasuda in the same province. He soon moved to Yedo, however, and there studied the methods of the Tosa School of painting, but quickly abandoned these for the style of the new Popular School, taking the artist name of Kichibei. As Mr. Arthur Morrison points out, "Traces of his education in embroidery design, and jn the Tosa style of painting are visible in most of his work, particularly in that of early date ; but presently he fell under the influence of the great Kano painter, Hanabusa Itcho, and henceforth we see distinct traces of the Kano manner." Moronobu was, then, a painter of no mean rank ; but it is his power as a designer for wood engraving that con cerns us on this occasion. He illustrated a large number of »books (nearly thirty, dating from 1659 to 1695, were sold in the Hayashi Sale of 1902), and, what is more to the point, produced the first broadsheets known. So far as printing goes, these were made from one block only; and the strong, simple line, superb composition, and masterly massing of the black and white, give them a rank in the history of the wood-cut which has hardly yet been fully recognised. His decorative treatment of flowers is singularly able, andhis pattern — easily suggested and judiciously placed — often conveys a surprising effect of richness of texture. Moronobu's prints were often coloured by hand in two or three elementary tints ; his subjects are generally either historical, or illustrations of the amusements of women. In io JAPANESE COLOUR PRINTS. his old age he became a professed recluse, shaving his head and taking the name of Yuchiku. He died in 1714,* in the seventy-seventh year of his age. Moronobu's best pupils, Morofusa, Moroshige, and Moronaga, are variously termed sons and brothers. The Hayashi collection con tained a print by the first-named, as well as examples by Moromasa, Ichikawa Ryusen and Ryushu, and Kwaigetsudo Yasutomo, all in the same manner and of about the same period. From the tinting of prints by hand to the printing of them in colour was an easy transition ; and common tradition ascribes the first issue of the latter to an artist named Kiyonobu, whose dates are now given by the compiler of the Hayashi Catalogue as from 1664- 1729. His personal name was Torii Chobei. He lived first at Kyoto and then at Yedo, where he made a reputation for painting posters for the exteriors of the four chief theatres of the Shogun's capital. Indeed, the Japanese say that the bold lines and simple style of the Torii School, founded by Kiyonobu, are derived from this work of his ; but as a matter of fact the same characteristics are found in that of several of his contemporaries. As to the statement that Kiyonobu first ma^e colour prints in the ordinary sense of the word, we have elsewhere given the tradition re lated by Hoku-i which places it much earlier. But as far as existing examples go, it has this much in its favour, that of several con temporary artists who certainly produced them, he was undoubtedly the elder man. Portraits of the actor Ichikawa Danjiuro, printed in colours, are said to have been sold in the streets .of Yedo in 1695 •" for five cash " (Satow) ; and these are attributed to Kiyonobu. Pro fessor Anderson quotes a tradition that " the first application of the process in Japan is said to have been by one Idzumiya Gonshiro, who lived at the end of the seventeenth century and made use of a second block to stamp certain parts of his design with beni, a red * Magazine of Japanese Art, Vol. V ; and Hayashi Catalogue, p. 19. . This gives 1638 as the year of his birth. THE TORII SCHOOL. n colour extracted from a kind of safflower." This kind of printing lasted for a number of years. The Library possesses examples by Kiyonobu of prints from one block very richly coloured by hand, and producing a good decorative effect ; as well as one also coloured by hand, by Katsukawa Terushige, who appears to have been a pupil of Kiyonobu. Another pupil and contemporary of Kiyonobu was Okumura Masanobu (1685-1764). He also used the names Honya Genroku Gempachi, Bunkaku, Kwanmyo, Bai-5 Hogetsudo, and Tanchosai, and produced prints in each of the three methods just described. A series in the Library includes an interesting specimen in white line on black ground, which appears to have been, after the Chinese fashion, a rubbing from engraved stone. Okumura Masanobu frequently signed Yamato Yeshi or Yamato-no-gako (Japanese painter), as well as his name. He made many prints coloured with lacquer ; is said to have been the first to use beniye (red pictures); and kept a book shop at Shiocho5 Yedo. Torii Kiyomasu is said to have been a son of Kiyonobu, but Mr. Arthur Morrison and Mr. Fenollosa both think there is reason to consider him a youngs brother. His birth is placed at about the year 1679, and his death took place in Horeki 12 (a.d. 1762). Be yond this and the fact that he lived at Naniwacho, Yedo ; was the recognised head of the school (with the title Torii Second) after the death of its founder ; and also used the name Kiyonobu II. , we have no information. His- work is rare, and includes prints in black, black and red, and colours. He illustrated books, of which some dating from 1712 to 1747 are known. His style is very similar to that of Kiyonobu. Other pupils of the latter are Kiyotada, Kiyotomo, Kiyoharu, Kiyoshige, Shiro (who is called Kiyonobu II. in the Hayashi Cata logue, and by some said to be the same as Kiyomasu), Kondo Kiyonobu (son of Kiyoharu), Kiyohisa, Kiyofusa, and Hanekawa Chincho (also called Okinobu, a.d. 1679-1754). 12 JAPANESE COLOUR PRINTS. Of this generation also were Okumura Toshinobu, son of Okumura Masanobu, and a graceful draughtsman ; and Nishimura Shigenaga, who is said by different authorities to have been either the son or the father of Nishimura Shigenobu, but was almost certainly the former. He lived from 1697 to 1756 (Hayashi Catalogue), and used the names Magosaburo and Senkwado. Shigenaga is related to have kept a tea house at Tori Aburacho in Yedo, and afterwards to have moved to Kanda, where he became a publisher and had many pupils some of whom — notably Harunobu — are of great importance. The third master of the Torii, Kiyomitsu, is said to have been a son of Kiyomasu. His private name was Hanzo ; he was born in 1735, and lived at Naniwacko, Yedo. It is an interesting evidence of the real status of a colour-printer, who was even the accepted head during the latter part of his life, of a distinct and popular school, that his own craft was that of a musical instrument (samisen) maker, and that he only filled up his spare time by making single-sheet nishi- kiye. His work is generally simple in line even to severity. The colours used are few; as a rule, two or three only, roseandapale green, being the favourites. He sometimes employed of the charming Hossoye form (Hayashi Catalogue, 263), and also illustrated a few books, notably Dharma Shichoki (1760) and some collections of theatrical stories and songs (1763-1779). He died in 1785. The student must be cautioned against later prints signed by his name which are the work of Kiyomine and Kiyomitsu III. (see p. 14). They are easily to be distinguished by a fuller palette of colours and more advanced technique than those of the first of the name. One by the former is reproduced on PI. xxvii., and should form a useful guide. Kiyotsune was a pupil of this artist and not of Kiyo nobu, as sometimes asserted. He illustrated some books in colour, of which the Library collection contains one, " The Twenty-four Examples of Filial Piety." The next in succession, and one of the greatest in merit, of the Torii School, is Kiyonaga. He was born in 1742, his father being a pub- THE TORII SCHOOL. 13 lisher called Shirokiya Ichibei, and his family names Seki Ichibei and Shinsuke. His master was Torii Kiyomitsu, with whom he col laborated in at least one book in 1776; and on the death of the latter in-17-85, he formally attained the rank of the Fourth Torii, a dignity of which the signification is not merely as Mr. Hayashi says, that he was of the fourth generation, but that he was the recognised master fourth in succession of the members of the school. Kiyonaga lived at Yedo in the Honzeimokucho Ichome district ; and had a great reputation among the lower orders for his portraits of actors and beautiful women, his pictures of warriors, and especially his illus trated books. In Japan the most popular of the latter were Yehon Buyu Kongo Rikishi and Yehon Monomiga-oka (1785) ; but among others may be mentioned Tentari Uta (1777), Intamukachi Bakimono Oyadama (1780), Kamikuzu Minouye Banachi (1780), Asahina Karako Asobi (1781), Bakimono Yutsunino Hachinoki (1780), Iro Jigoku (1791), Kagaya Tatoya, and Mitso-uno Asa (1787), the latter containing seven plates in colours. Kiyonaga died in 1815. The work of Kiyonaga is of great importance, and his influence is strongly seen in most of his later contemporaries. From the artistic point of view he is the greatest of the Torii. He had the widest range of subject of any of them, and also used a fuller palette of colours than either of his predecessors. One class of prints by him is somewhat grotesque in effect, and strong, even crude, in colouring ; but others, and those the best, are full of charm and delicacy, and invariably harmonious. An important print in the Library (J. 4889) deserves special attention. It is a portrait of a richly- dressed Yoshiwara woman, Segawa of the House called Matsubaya, with the two attendants belonging to her rank, The impression is a remarkable one, printed on specially thick paper, and bears the seal of a famous publisher, Yeijudo of Yedo. This belongs ^_to his later period, his earlier work being more akin to that of Haru- nobu, though with a distinct character of its own. A view, coloured by hand, of the Suriiga Street of Yedo is described in the Hayashi 14 JAPANESE COLOUR PRINTS. Catalogue (No. 668) as the largest known, its dimensions being 70 x 48 centimetres. This is dated 1780. Another example in the same catalogue bears the date 1801. Kiyonaga made one or two surimono, but they are very seldom met with. He also produced a large number of theatre programmes, of which specimens dated 1785, 1786, 1795 and 1799 have been noted. Kiyohiro was a pupil of Kiyonaga, as probably was Kiyokuni, (a contemporary of Toyo kuni), by whom some good prints are in the Library collection. The fifth master of the Torii School was Kiyomine, who is said by one Japanese authority to have been the grandson of Kiyomitsu; but by others (and probably with more justice) to have married the grand-daughter of that artist. His family name was Shonosuke, and he dwelt first at Samiyoshicho and afterwards at Shinidzumicho in Yedo ; studying first under Kiyonaga, but adopting later the earlier style of Toyokuni I. During the periods Bunkwa and Bunsei (a.d. 1804-1829), he confined himself to the production of nishikiye, and illustrated books which at the time were very popular. On the death of Kiyonaga in 1815, he made many theatrical posters and programmes, continuing, in fact, his master's business in this respect. In the period Tempo (1830-43) he changed his name to Kiyomitsu, after which he made few colour prints, though the Library is fortun ate enough to possess one of these, figured on PI. xxviii. Kiyomine lived for a long time after, dying in 1868 on the 21st day of the nth month at the age of eighty-two. Kiyomine's work is not common. It retains few of the characteristics of his school, but is always grace ful in composition and harmonious in colour. He was succeeded- by his son Kiyofusa, the sixth and last of the Torii masters, who was born on the 14th day of the 12th month, Tempo 3rd (a.d. 1832). On the death of his father he took the name of Kiyomitsu III. We cannot say anything about his work. He died in 1892, on the 19th day of the 5th month, and is buried at the Hosei Temple, Asakusa^ Minami Matsuijamacho. Kiyosada was perhaps a pupil of this artist. His prints are unimportant. THE TORII SCHOOL. 15 The Torii form an extremely interesting group. Their work is mainly theatrical ; indeed, the statement given above in reference to Kiyomine seems to imply that the head of the school for the time being held a monopoly of it. They appear to have taken fewer pupils than was common towards the end of the period covered by them, doubtless for the above reason. III. HAKUNOBU AND HIS PUPILS WITH THEIR CONTEMPORARIES. As stated in the last chapter, Nishimura Shigenaga had many pupils, and among them none attained greater fame than Harunobu. The early history of this artist is quite unknown, except that he was a seller of tooth-brushes. His illustrated books are numerous, and the first of which the author has been able to find a record is the Yehon Kokin-ran, published at Yedo in 1762. Almost all that can otherwise be said of him is that for some unexplained reason his work was entirely done in the last decade or so of his life. He is said by M. Hayashi to have been born in 1718, and to have died in 1770 ; but another Japanese authority, with greater accuracy, informs us that the exact date of his death was the 15th day of the 6th month of Meiwa 7 (a.d., 1770), and that his age was then sixty-seven years. His family name was Suzuki ; he seems also to have occasionally signed Kiosen, and a writer in the Kokwa* states that he was also called Koriusai; while still another account says that he used the two first syllables only of that name (Koriu), which certainly appear on one set of prints in a seal. The statement is also made that he only began to draw in 1764, in spite of the fact that, as we have already seen, he was illustrating books two years earlier ; but the former date may refer to his production of broadsheets only. He lived in Yedo, at Ryogoku Yonezawacho. Harunobu, with several of the Japanese writers on the Ukiyoye School, has the credit of having invented nishikiye. This is, of course, untrue, but it probably rests on the grounds that he certainly introduced many improvements into the process, and greatly * Vol. v, in a note to plate 4. HARUNOBU AND HIS PUPILS. 17 popularised prints of thisclass; while it may be that the term Adzuma Nishikiye was first applied to the work from his studio. It is re corded that his prints were widely sought, for during the period Meiwa (a.d. 1764-1772), and that at the same time New Year's surimono, with five or six printings, were first made, though we are not definitely told that this was done by Harunobu himself. The quality of Harunobu' s work is very high and meets with great favour among European collectors. He never painted actors, con fining himself almost entirely to pictures of women. To this day the fame of one set of these latter holds good, portraits of the Four Famous Beauties, Onami and Omitsu, dancers of the Shinto Temple of Yushima Tenjin, Osen of the Kagiya teahouse at Yanaka, Kasa- mori Temple, and Ofuji of the Yanagiya house, which were published about the year 1769. Characteristic colours used by him are a fine apple-green and a deep red. The drawing of his figures is graceful, the drapery simple but expressive, the accessories few, and ornament rarely insisted on. The lines of the key-block are light, the blacks being massed judiciously but without emphasis. Some of Harun- obu's best pieces are of the long, narrow form called hachirakaki, made as a decoration for the posts of a living room, though he generally used a nearly square proportion smaller than that of later artists. Harunobu founded a school, though it was of short duration, the technical superiority of Kiyonaga being probably the cause of this. The principal member of it was an artist, the particulars of whose life are still somewhat obscure, Koriusai. Isoda Koriusai, who was also called Shobei, and Masakatsu Haruhiro, was of higher social standing than the majority of colour print designers, being of the samurai class, and a retainer (at one time) of the noble Tsuchiya family at Ogawamachi, Yedo. He was a fellow student with Harunobu under Nishimura Shigenaga, and made his prints at Yagenbori Nihonbashi, Yedo, which gave him the nickname oc casionally found on his paintings, Toto Yagenbori Inshi (the. man ;6i8. B 18 JAPANESE COLOUR PRINTS. with no occupation, of Yagenbori, Yedo). He painted many picture in a style very like that of Harunobu, even in the smallest details ; so much so indeed, that apart from the signature they can sometimes hardly be distinguished therefrom. Some confusion has arisen by reason of the conflicting statements of the Japanese on the subject of Koriusai. Thus the fact that many of his prints are signed simply Koriu, has given one writer reason for saying that he was identical with Harunobu. This now appears to be without foundation ; but the difficulty is hardly solved by another proposition that there were two contemporary artists of the same name, one the samurai, whose origin is mentioned above, the other a man of lower social rank. It is certain that the paintings signed Koriu are not all by Harunobu. Whether an undoubted "difference between two classes of the prints is to be accounted for by the exis tence- of two artists, or' by a change of style on the part of one must remain a matter of some uncertainty. The author favours the latter theory, and in some of the later prints a distinguished autho rity, Mr. Arthur Morrison, sees evidences of the influence of Kitao Shigemasa. Koriusai, it should be said, gained the honorific title of Hokkyo. The work of this painter, taking it as that of one man, is more remarkable for its power of composition than for any other quality. Probably no colour print maker succeeded better with the difficult proportions of the hachirakaki. And at the same time no prede cessor of Koriusai exhibits a bolder and more delightful rendering of natural objects. His birds are splendid, one set of surimono being unequalled in this respect. In colour he displays a peculiar fondness for a very characteristic red, which he uses with great judgment and effect. One Japanese writer says that the samurai Koriusai died in 1771 ; but this doubtless refers to Harunobu, who seems' to have used the name chiefly for literary purposes ; a fact which must be taken for what it is worth as tending to support the theory that there were two artists of the name ; on the other hand, we have HARUNOBU AND HIS PUPILS. 19 notes of three books illustrated by Koriusai, one undatea, and the others published in 1779 and 178 1 respectively. Considering the whole of the work thus signed, the latter would seem to be about the last date to which prints can be ascribed. Harushige, a reputed son and pupil of Harunobu, was an artist of great skill, and other pupils were Fujinobu, Komai Yoshinobu (who also studied under Shigenaga), Harutsugu, Masunobu, Muranobu, Utimasa, aiid Shiba Kokan. Thelastnamed is a personage of some interest. He-is variously said to have used the names in earlier life of Shigenobu* and Shigeharuf . He also has been called a son of Harunobu, and was undoubtedly his pupil ; and after his death used the appellation Harunobu II. He also joined Tani Buncho ; and it is recorded that it was his inferiority to the other students under the famous painter, that caused him to leave that master and go to Nagasaki, where he acquired something of the European manner of drawing, and also the arts of copper-plate engraving, and the rudiments of perspective, which latter he im parted to Hokusai. In his book, " The Confessions of Kokan," he says that he first studied under the painter Kano Koshin, but deeming the Japanese inferior to the Chinese style, he then worked at the latter. Afterwards he attached himself to Harunobu, and candidly admits forging his prints systematically. His name is assumed, and is derived from those of two rivers in his native pro vince ; other signatures and names are Shun, Shumpo, Fugen Dojin, Kungaku, Katsusaburo, and Magodayu. He was born in 1747, and died in 1818, on the 21st day of the 10th month, after having drawn his own portrait and inscribed it with a poem, " Kokan dies because he is very old : to the common world (ukiye) he leaves a common drawing (ukiyo-ye)." At this point the first reference becomes necessary to the question of forgery. We have just seen that there is absolute proof that Harunobu was paid this compliment ; and perhaps none of the *' Magazine of Japanese Fine Art, Vol. I. f Idem, Vol. III. 7618. B2 20 JxiPANESE COLOUR PRINTS. artists with whom this volume deals, suffered from it to a greater extent, with the sole exception of Utamaro. And it must be said that many of the forgeries are of quite recent date. These can be detected by an abnormal freshness and some crudity of colour. Harunobu also has been considerably re-printed, two impressions from one block in the Library (J. 5094 and 5323) give useful evidence of this. As far as Kokan's imitations are concerned, the detection of them must be a matter of judgment on the part of the amateur. In some are European tendencies which easily stamp them ; others are more difficult to classify. Contemporary with the pupils of Harunobu, although not directly under his influence, were several artists of note. Kitao Shigemasa, whose family name was Kitabatake Susuke, and other appellations, Kosuisai and Kwaran, was born at Yedo. He worked first of all for a bookseller, Sawaraya Mohei, and then on his own account at Odenmacho Nichome and Negishi Otsukamura. He is said by M. Hayashi to have been a pupil of Harunobu, but by other writers, of Shigenaga, which appears more likely. He painted flowers, birds and warriors with great skill, and always of high quality, and died in the 2nd month of Bunsei 2 (a.d. 1819) at the age of eighty- one. Kitao Masanobu was a pupil of Shigemasa. His many names were Iwase Haida, Kyoya Denzo, Sei, Hakukkei, Yusei, Santo-an, Seisai, Sei-se-rojin, and others which follow. He was born on the 18th day of the 8th month of Horeki n (a.d. 1761), at Fukagawa Kibamachi, Yedo, at the house of a pawnbroker named Iseya. When a child he was nicknamed Jintaro ; and after he grew up he lived at Kiobushi Ginza Nichome, where he sold first tobacco and pipes, and then medicines. As an art student he signed himself Rissai Masanobu. This small shopkeeper who had taken to painting was also of much account among his fellows as an author. His comic poems, written under the nom de plume of Migaru-no-Orisuke, were in great demand, and as a novelist he is still famous as Kyoden. HARUNOBU AND HIS PUPILS. 21 In his old age he gave up art, and confined himself to authorship. He died on the 7th day of the 9th month of Bunkwa 13 (a.d. 1816) in his 56th year, and was buried in the Ekoin Temple, Ryogoku, Yedo. Masanobu illustrated several books printed in colours and of great beauty. One of these, Seiro meikun Jihitsushu, a fine copy of which is in the Library (04.B.10), is perhaps one of the best specimens of this application of the art in existence. He also made a few very rare colour prints of a high standard of merit, besides the illustra tions to several of his own novels. Books with engravings after his designs are found with dates from 1784 to 1803. Keisai Kitao Masayoshi, another pupil of Shigemasa (whose son he is said, with some uncertainty, to have been) was also called Sanko, his personal name being Kuwagata Sanjiro. He was first instructed in the Kano style,and that of the great painter and lacquerer Korin.* Though he made a few colour prints, also of great merit and rarity, he is chiefly known as a book illustrator of surprising directness and originality, after 1799 using the signature, Keisai Joshin. In his old age he entered the service of the Daimyo Matsudaira, and never worked again in the Ukiyoye style, dying on the 21st day of the 3rd month of Bunsei 7 (a.d. 1824) ; he was born in 1761. The third of this group of artists was Ihei Shosado, who signed his prints Kubo Shunman. He lived at Kanda Tomimatsucho, and afterwards at Kodeh-ma-cho, Yedo. His first master was Kajitori Nahiko, who gave him his name. It is to be noted, however, that this is not as a rule written with the same character Shun as was used by Shunsho and his school. Shunman, indeed, signed a few prints in this way ; but, discovering that the natural inference was drawn therefrom that he was a pupil of that artist, he changed his method of writing his name, using a different character of the same value. Thus his signature has been incorrectly read as Toshimitsu, and con fusion has thereby arisen. Shunman afterwards worked under * Mr. Morrison says he worked under Tani Buncho. 22 JAPANESE COLOUR PRINTS. Shigemasa, but shows little of his style, having, as Mr. Morrison points out, come much more under the all-pervading influence, of Kiyonaga. Shunman was a writer of note, especially indulging in comic poems, for which he adopted the nom de plume of Nandaka- shiran (meaning, says a Japanese authority, " I do not know what it is "). He painted with his lelt hand. The date of his death is unknown ; but his work belongs to the last years of the eighteenth and the first of the nineteenth centuries. Prints by Shunman are singularly delicate both in colour and design. He has much of the quality of the old masters of Japanese art, and besides his surimono, elsewhere referred to, the student should pay particular attention to his flower pieces. One print in the Library (J. 6016) is a superb example of him at his best, and a noteworthy detail of it is the use of red outlines for the unclothed portions of his figures. Several books illustrated by him appeared between 1795 and 1815. A contemporary of Harunobu, who founded a school of the first importance, was Ishikawa Toyonobu (1711-1785), who was a pupil of Shigenaga. Toyonobu's prints are a connecting link between the old style and the new. His early work is akin to that of the Torii, and we have, from his brush, pictures illuminated in colours, printed with red only ; and later specimens made under the influence of the Harunobu school. He also signed Ishikawa Shuba. Toyonobu had three pupils, Ishikawa Toyomasa, who used a palette similar to that of Harunobu, and whose chief work is a set of twelve prints of children's games for each month of the year (J. 5224, etc.) which are pleasant in feeling but with some crudeness of drawing; Utagawa Toyonobu, who died young, and Utagawa Toyoharu (i734-l8l3) whose family name was Mimaya Chosaburo, and who also first used a signature frequently met with among his followers, Ichiryusai. Toyoharu, the leader of the important group which forms the subject of a later chapter (Chap. V.) was an artist of no little power and versatility. He made several prints in what the Japanese call the Dutch style ; that is, which show recognisable HARUNOBU AND HIS PUPILS. 23 traces of European influence, one of which, unsigned, is in the Library, and his colour is always fresh and harmonious. His pupils and their work belong to the next generation. He is said by M. Hayashi to have been a pupil of Nishimura Shigenaga. The last of the men of this epoch — perhaps the greatest in the history of the art, and certainly that which saw its technique pushed to the ultimate possibilities of its development — was Katsugawa Shunsho. Of his life we have very few details. He was called Katsu Miyagawa — shortened into Katsugawa— and also Yiisuke, Yuji and Ririn. In addition he used the na'me Shuntei. During the period Meiwa (a.d., 1764-1771) he lived at the house of the publisher Hayashi Hichiyemon at Ningiocho (Yedo), and in 1764 published the set of portraits of the five actors called Gonin Otoko, which were neither very good nor very popular : though other work executed at this time had a great success. Although he is generally said to have been a pupil of Miyagawa Shunsui, some Japanese authorities prefer to consider him as a disciple of Siikoku, a pupil of Itcho, with whose style much of Shunsho's work has undeniable affinity. His long figures of this class, drawn with a fine line and very well engraved, first gained the title of Adzuma Nishikiye (famous productions of Yedo). M. Hayashi gives the date of Shunsho's birth as 1726, and of his death as 1790 ; but the latter must be incorrect, as the artist is now known to have been in his sixty-seventh year when he died on the nth day of the 12th month in Kwansei 4 (a.d. 1792). He was buried at the Saifukuji Temple at Asakusa, under the Bud dhistic name of Shoyo Shunsho Shinshi. Shunsho often used a seal in shape like a jar, and this obtained the nickname Tsubo (little jar), which was continued to his pupil Shunko. Shunsho had formerly studied that favourite art of the Japanese, calligraphy, learning the style of Itcho under Kokoya. He produced the theatrical pictures for which he was renowned during the period 1764-1780, and also made some most charming book illustrations of which the Kobi no Tsubo (1770), a collection of portraits of actors; Seiro Bijin Awase 24 JAPANESE COLOUR PRINTS. Kagami (1776), the best known and most justly admired of his pro ductions of this character, and the Nishiki Hiakunin Isshu, " The Hundred Poets and their Poems " (1775) are the best. These are beautifully and delicately drawn and coloured, and take rank with the finest work of their kind. In his later prints Shunsho shows a fondness for a characteristic colour scheme, in which a deep orange red and a bright yellow are prominent ; and in these prints also, we see a distinctive, and to our eyes somewhat harsh, drawing of the faces and figures of actors which, although forcible and full of the expression of action, is hardly in accord with European canons of beauty ; his paintings, however- are not open to this criticism. It became, nevertheless, a distinguish ing mark of his followers, and by way of a few pupils, culminated in the somewhat unintelligent methods of the Osaka group of artists. Shunsho made no prints in his old age, and his few paintings of that time were, Mr. Morrison thinks, only done for pleasure. Of Shunsho s master, Miyagawa or Katsugawa Shunsui, it may be said that he was a son of the great painter of the Ukiyoye School, Miyagawa Choshun. He made a few prints, and is represented in the Library collection. It is related that he, as a result of a quarrel with the painter Kano Haruyoshi, killed four of his relations, for which he was sentenced to death, and Choshun, who was implicated, to exile (c. 1750-51). Katsugawa Shinsai was a fellow student with Shunsui. Shunsho was responsible for the training of a notable group of pupils. The most important of these, Shunro (Hokusai), forms the subject of Chapter VI. Of the others, Shunko was the most closely allied with his master in style. This artist was also called Shun-6 and Ko-tsubo, and he also used the jar-shaped seal of his master Shunsho. His dwelling was at Yedo in the Hasegawacho. When about forty-five or forty-six years of age a severe attack of palsy caused a cessation of his work ; he henceforth lived as a recluse at Azabu, in the Temple of Zempuku. He recovered to some extent, though for the remainder of his career he drew with his HARUNOBU AND HIS PUPILS. 25 left hand only. He died in 1827. Shunko must not be confused with a later painter of the same name (but written differently), Shunko II, a pupil of Shunyei, who was better known as Shunsen. (See below, p. 74.) The work of Shunko is extremely like the later productions of his master, and, indeed, can with difficulty be distinguished therefrom. There is no doubt that they collaborated to a considerable extent. His best prints belong to the period Kwansei (a.d. 1789-1801). One in the Hayashi collection is dated 1790. Shunko, as well as his master, illustrated in colours a volume of the " Hundred Poets," published in 1795, and engraved by Inouye Jihei. This subject was evidently a favourite with the Katsukawas, for we have also a similar publication by another pupil of Shunsho, Shunjo, who is known to have been at work as early as 1782. Other pupils of lesser note are named below, the dates given being those of the publication of illustrated books by them — the only indication available of their period : Rantokusai Shundo (1790), Shunsensai (1797), Shunki, Shunkyo, Shunrin, Shunkwaku, Shunzo, Shunyen, Shuntoku, Shungyoku, Shun-en, and Shunsui II. One of the strongest of Shunsho's pupils was Kintokusai Shunyei of the Isoda family, who was born at Shinidzumicho Shinmichi, in the year Meiwa 5 (a.d. 1767*), and began to practise his craft when still a boy. He gained considerable renown for portraits of actors and comic pictures, in a style to which his admirers among the lower classes of Japan gave the name Kintoku. He himself was also called Kinjiro and Kutokusai. Little is known of his life save that he was a clever musician and especially an excellent player on the samisen. He died on the 26th day of the 7th month of Bunsei 2 (a.d. 1819) at the age of fifty-two. Shunyei became to a great extent independent of his master. His prints are forcibly drawn and good in colour, and he was the leader of a small group of colour print makers, who, in spite of their nominal attachment to the Kat- * M. Hayashi says 1762 ; but the above is probably more correct. 26 JAPANESE COLOUR PRINTS. sukawas, have little or nothing in common with their style. Of these, Shunzan, of whom nothing is at present known but his work, is the most able. He derives his. style largely from Kiyonaga-, whom he sometimes approaches closely in merit ; he drew women very gracefully and always with good colour, but seems to have avoided the theatrical class of subjects. He also executed some landscapes, of which a set of the Eight Views of Lake Biwa is in the Library. Shunzan is said to have studied under Shunsho as well as under Shunyei. Another pupil was Shunko II. who changed his name to that, by which he is much better known, Shunsen ; a pupil of a painter of the Chinese school, Tsumi Torin, from whom he derived another name, Shunrin ; he was also called Kashosai. The Library possesses a good early print by Shunsen, signed Shunko; and another with the signature "Shunsen, formerly Shunko," which, marking the time "of the change of name, shows that this must have occurred somewhat late in his life ; most of his prints were produced thereafter. He is more fully referred to, in his appropriate sequence, at page 74. Another pupil of Shunyei was Yamaguchi Ch6jur5, who was also called Shokosai, Shoku and Siuho Itsujin, but is known to us by his artist-name, Shuntei. He lived at Idzumicho, Yedo ; but, owing partly to illness and partly to systematic indulgence in drink, his production of prints was not as great as one would have expected- considering that of his contemporaries. His famous work is an illustrated history of the Drama, Kabuki Nendaiku, and his prints generally represent wrestlers, warriors, and military subjects, drawn with cjme skill and .vigour, but curiously low in tone as regards colour. Most of them were published by Murataya. He died on the 3rd day of the 8th month of Bunsei 3 (a.d. 1820), at the age of fifty- one, and his broadsheets almost all belong to the last twenty years of his life. His influence is perhaps to be traced in the work of Kuniyoshi and his pupils. HARUNOBU AND HIS PUPILS. 27 Certain other pupils of Shunyei settled at Osaka, and helped to form the small separate school of that place dealt with in Chapter VII. We have left till last the most important pupil of Shunsho (next to Hokusai), namely Shuncho, who held also the names Kichizeimon, Churinsha, Toshiyen. In spite of his training, Shuncho must be classed with Kiyonaga rather than with his own master. Some times he approaches most closely to the former, though here and there one sees hints of a certain hardness in the drawing of the face which belongs to Shunsho ; and the print illustrating him has been selected because it has the characteristics of both. Shun cho is a great colourist, and a special feature of his more important prints is the broad and harmonious treatment of the landscape back grounds. His dates of birth and death are unknown ; but we know him to have been at work as early as 1786 and as late as 1803. In the period Bunkwa (a.d. 1804-1818) he stopped painting altogether, changing his name, to Shuncho (a different character) Kissado. He did a certain amount of book illustration, especially small novelettes called Kuzayoshi, with text and illustration on one page. He is said to have been still living in 1821. IV. UTAMARO, YEISHI AND YEIZAN. The last chapter brought the history of the art of colour printing up to its greatest point of technical achievement ; the present is to deal with three of the artists who took the fullest advantage thereof ; and, in the case of the latter, saw the beginning of the period of decadence which followed. With the exception of Hokusai, and possibly Hiroshige I, no painter of the popular school is so well known to Europeans as Utamaro ; and the fame of the latter only, was, in this respect, con temporary with him. For, during his lifetime, his prints were well- known to, and in great request by the Dutch at Nagasaki;, and from the same port they were also sent in large quantities to China. In the collections of M. Isaac Titsingh, who died at Paris in 1812, after having for fourteen years been the chief of the Dutch Settlement at Nagasaki, are several mentions of " engravings printed in colours . . . on separate sheets, ten inches wide and one foot two inches nine lines in height, representing Japanese ladies in various dresses ; " and there is little doubt that prints by Utamaro are referred to. It would be interesting to be able to trace this collection, but no one has yet succeeded in so doing. Still, it must always be possible that some of these prints, with authentic evidence of their early importation, should yet be found in Holland. Utamaro was born at Kawayoye in the province of Musashi or Bushiu, in 1754. His father was a painter of repute, Toriyama Sekiyen (Toyofusa), of the Kano School, pupil of Kano Chikanobu, a son of Tsunenobu. Utamaro traced his descent from the old his torical family of the Minamoto ; and so, by way of heritage, started with greater possibilities of refinement than almost any of his fellows. UTAMARO, YE1SH1 AND YE1ZAN. 29 His personal name was Yusuke, and he was called Murasakiya, Yentaisai and Yenboku ; he first used the signature Toriyama Toyo-aki ; * but after a quarrel with his father he refused to shame the latter by bearing the former of these appellations, and sub stituted that of Kitagawa. As a result of this quarrel he was, for a time at all events, disowned by his father, and lived with the pub lisher, Tsutaya Shigesaburo. He studied the Kano style of painting, and then that of his father, who had developed a certain indepen dence of method ; but soon, in his colour prints, achieved a dis tinct style of his own. He passed his life in debauchery, culminating in a term of imprisonment (in 1804) for a print representing Taiko engaged in dissipation, which was interpreted as a libel on tha Shogun Iyenari ; and died on the 3rd day of the 5th month oi i8o6,f possibly from the effects of this on his debilitated constitution, at the age of fifty-three years. There are several portraits of Utamaro extant ; reference may be made to two by himself, one in which he is represented as painting a gigantic .Ho" bird, to the amusement of several women of the Yoshi wara, who watch- him from the door, and another which depicts him drinking with women of the same class ; in both he is drawn as a young and slender man, though neither is in his early style. But the most interesting is a kakemono by Chobunsai Yeishi (in the collection of Mr. Arthur Morrison), showing him as he must have been just before he died — fat, heavy-eyed and sensual — an evident master piece of realism. Utamaro achieved, as we have already said, enormous popularity. He drew some few portraits of actors — in the style, they say, of Harunobu — made a surimono here and there, and illustrated many books, some — and those containing the best of his work — quite beyond all European canons of good taste. Of the books, his earliest, under the signature Kitagawa Toyo-akira, was published at Yedo in 1776-77, a date which fixes in one direction, his quarrel with * Mr. Arthur Morrison. t M. Hayashi says 1805. 30 JAPANESE COLOUR PRINTS. his'father. More important from the artistic point of view are trie beautiful volumes in colour, are the Seiro Nenjiu Gioji the Book of the Yoshiwara, drawn with the assistance of his pupils Kikumaro, Hidemaro and Takimaro, the text by Juppensha Ikku ^with whom Utamaro quarrelled as to the respective merits of the writing and the illustrations), engraved by Fuji Katsumuni, printed by Kwakushodo Toyemon, and published in 1804 by Katsusaya Tusuke (Ju-o) of Yedo, near the Nihon Bashi. Of the others, the Book of Insects was engraved by Fuji Hazumune, and published by Tsutaya Juzaburo in 1788, with a preface by Toriyama Sekiyen, in which the father speaks of the delight of Utamaro as a child in catching and examining insects, and the fear that he might develop a habit of injuring or killing them (Morrison). Certain delightful volumes, each with five exquisitely-printed plates, are also worth noting. Of these the Library possesses two, Kogetsu-bo (literally, " Full crazy moon " ) published in 1789, and a set of five methods of celebrating the New Year. Reference has already been made to Utamaro's sojourn with the publisher Tsutaya Juzaburo, before he took a house of his own in the Kanda district of Yedo. Some indication of the dates of this may be found in those of volumes published by the famous dealer, which range from 1786 to 1790, after which other names of book sellers appear. Towards the end of his life, the demand for work from his hand became so great that it is said to have been his habit to shut himself in his room, cover the floor with sheets of paper, and pass from one to the other with the utmost rapidity as he completed a sketch on each. i As a painter, Utamaro is given a certain rank by Japanese critics) though it is, of course, not the highest. A modern tendency among them is to admire his painting of landscape, and that of insects and plants, in which affinities to the Maruyama and Shijo Schools are seen. But it is for his colour prints that he has always received the highest praise from foreigners. These of his best period (Anyei and Temmei, 1772-1788), when he gained the title Ukiyoye Chv-ko-no-so, UTAMARO, YE1SHI AND YEIZAN 31 " Great Master of Ukiyo Painting," have a rare combination of dig nity, delicacy of drawing and harmony of colour ; and there is no exag geration in Mr. Morrison's judgment that " as a painter of the human figure in an exquisitely synthetic convention, Utamaro has few rivals, East or West." But to appreciate this, the convention must not only be insisted on ; it must be franklv accepted and understood. In his later years Utamaro's popularity gained him many com petitors in his own style, and none more powerful than the first Toyokuni. A story bearing on this is told, how a certain amateur of colour prints travelled from Uwashiro, in Boshiu province, to Nagasaki, where he saw and much admired Utamaro's work ; thence he parsed to Yedo, and after visiting Toyokuni, has placed on record his preference for the former artist. This occurred about the time of -the death of the latter, probably just after that event. This volume is hardly the place for a repetition of an estimate of the relative merits of these two men ; which I have already given in " Japanese Illustration."* It must suffice to remark that Toyokuni undoubtedly forged imitations of Utamaro's prints, signature and all, as also did Shunsen, among others. These prints were published by a fan-maker named Hori-icho, about the year 1807. One interesting specimen in the Library, in Utamaro's later style, has the signature of Toyokuni near the margin, which at some time has evidently been covered, and that of Utamaro added closer in. It may be said that in his signed work, Toyokuni shows again and again that he could easily approach the standard of his rival's later prints, which alone he seems to have copied. Another copyist, whose whole efforts were devoted to this branch of the trade, was Koikawa Harumachi (the reading Shuncho for the latter name is incorrect), who had been a fellow student with Utamaro under Toriyama Sekiyen. After his death this man married Utamaro's widow, and from his house in Bakro-chSj issued between 1808 and 1820, both forgeries of Utamaro's • prints, and completions of others left unfinished by him. He is * Page 48. " 32 JAPANESE COLOUR PRINTS. called Utamaro II, but is responsible for a portion only of the in ferior efforts with the master's signature. Afterwards he changed his name to Kitagawa Tetsugoro, and died between 1830 and 1843. Besides the artists mentioned above, a large number of alleged Utamaro prints were either made by his pupils, or were the rather more legitimate production of Utamaro's workshop at large ; for there is no doubt that the practice — not unknown to European painters of the first rank — of putting the master's signature to everything produced under his direction, obtained largely among the later makers of nishikiye. Of the pupils of Utamaro, the chief was Kikumaro, who lived at Kodemacho, Yedo. His own name was Kitagawa Rokusaburo, and his later colour prints, after about the year 1796, are signed Tsukimaro. He worked during the periods Kwansei to Bunsei (a.d. 1789-1829), afterwards abandoning altogether the Ukiyoye style and taking the name Kansetsu. His prints are more limited in scope than those of his master, and less refined in colour, obviously clever exercises in themes set for him by a higher genius. A later artist called himself Kikumaro II. Kikumaro's son, Yukimaro, only followed the calling of his father during his early years, becoming then an author. His prints are very rare, but in the Hayashi Collection (No. 1674) was a book illustrated by him in 1788. Yoshimaro was another pupil of Kikumaro, who lived at Yedo, on the bank of the river at Shin-nori-monocho. At the beginning of Bunsei (a.d. 1818-1829) ne took the name of Kitao Shigemasa III. Hidemaro, also pupil of Utamaro, made nishikiye only during the period Bunkwa (a.d. 1804-1818). All we know of him is that he lived at Yedo in the Shitaya district, in front of the Shinto Temple Yanagi-no-Inari. Contemporary with him was Shikimaro (Tokeirin Heiyemon) who worked at Yedo, Koishikawa Suidobashi, and died in the period Bunkwa. Kitamaro, Michimaro, Toshimaro, Hana- maro and Isomaro, were all pupils of the founder of the school. UTAMARO, YEISHI AND YE1ZAN. 33 Toriyama Sekiyen trained one other pupil of the first order in his generation, Shiko, who also signed Choki and Yeichosai. Little is known of him, and his prints are rare ; but such as we possess are exquisite in colour and composition. Shiko was eminently a master of the difficult hachirakaki form ; and of this the Library is fortunate enough to have excellent specimens. It has been said bysome writers that Shiko and Choki were two individuals, but there now appears to be no foundation for the statement, and the identity is absolutely. borne out by a comparison of prints with each signature. Closely akin to, in spirit, if differing somewhat in manner from Utamaro and his followers, was the head of another and less numer ous group, which for some inexplicable reason has never had quite its vogue among Europeans. Yeishi was the founder of a peculiarly graceful and effective style in colour prints— in the small sense, one might say, of a school. He was of good family, one of the few men of the Ukiyoye School who would claim this distinct- tion ; for he came of a samurai family belonging to the great Fuji- wara class, in the service of the Tokugawa Government, his personal name being Hosoda Tokitomj. Hence he and his followers are known as the Hosoda School. He adopted the nom de pinceau of Chobunsai (also Jibukio) Yeishi. He received his early training from an artist named Kano Yeisen (or as some say, Kano Tenshin), but soon adopted the Torii manner, choosing for his master Okumura Bunkaku, whose " soft and graceful method of painting and drawing " strongly attracted him. This latter artist was also known as Bun- rytisai, and the appellation Chobunsai expresses Yeishi's indebted ness to him and to his school (Cho is the equivalent of Tori), alter the custom of which we see so many other instances. Yeishi lived first at Hamacho near the Nihon Bashi in Yedo, and afterwards at Honjio Warigesui in the same city. His work was done during the periods Temmei to Kwansei (a.d. 1781-1800.) As one would have expected from a man of birth and some culture, Yeishi enjoyed a reputation in circles socially above those of the 7618, 9 34 JAPANESE COLOUR PRINTS. ordinary Ukiyoye artists ; and his choice of the subjects of the latter was viewed with little favour by his old associates. A Japanese historian says : " Unfortunately, Yeishi did not always make a wise use of his able brush, in spite of the wholesome counsel of his well- wishers. More than once he received from his superiors severe admonitions to mend his ways, which at last so chagrined him that he destroyed his brushes, and swore never to paint again on any subject whatever." M. Hayashi quotes a tradition that the name of Yeishi was given to him by the tenth Shogun, with whom he hucl held an official position as painter before he joined the Ukiyoye School. The degradation — for such it undoubtedly was — may perhaps be hinted at in the above statement. Yeishi also used the names Hosoda Teruyuki and Hosoi. Yeishi's colour-prints are distinguished by their feeling of repose His lines run easily, with an utter absence of sharp contrasts cr unexpected developments ; and his compositions have what one can only call a suggestion of the inevitable. His colour is har monious ; and to him is especially attributable a scheme in which black and greys play the principal part, in combination with a fine bright yellow, and that purple, the invention of which was absurdly attributed for a time to Toyokuni I., but was really shared by many other artists. Yeishi continued to paint even after he had abandoned designing for colour-prints. A notable example of his skill in this branch — his portrait of Utamaro — has already been referred to. He illustrated several books : one in collaboration with Hakuho Yekichi,Torin, Shigemasa, Utamaro and Hokusai (1798); in another, " Illustrations of the Thirty-six Poetesses " (Yedo, 1801), he was also assisted by Hokusai who supplied a double-page frontispiece : an interesting evidence of a combination which, however, had no definite results on Yeishi's colour-prints, though it may have strongly influenced his painting. His dates of birth and death are unknown. Yeishi had several pupils whose work possesses more or less affinity with that of their master ; but little is known of any of UTAMARO, YEISHI AND YEIZAN. 35 them. They were, Shokosai Yeisho, and another Yeisho who wrote the last syllable of his name with a different character ; Yeiki, Yeisui, Choyensai Yeiju, Yeicho, Chotensai Yeishin, Gokei, Soraku, and Yeiri ; who must not be confounded with Rekisentei Yeiri, perhaps a pupil of Yeichun Hasegawa Mitsunobu. Of these, as far as one may judge from the few specimens available, Gokei (whose name has also been read, incorrectly, as Gokyo) is by far the best. A print in the Library signed by him " pupil of Yeishi " is in that artist's characteristic colours ; and for all-round merit, is equal to the best of his productions. Yeisho is broad and somewhat forcible. The others follow rather the later style of Utamaro. Yeizan was the son of a painter, Kano Yeiri, and learned his art in the first place from his father. His personal names were Cho- kiusai Mangoro, and he was also called Tamegoro and Toshinobu. He lived at Yedo, Ichigaya Noza Kojimachi, and began life as a maker of artificial flowers. After studying with his father, he for some time worked under the painter Nanrei, specimens of whose work are in the British Museum collection, and who also made some surimono. Yeizan was a friend of Hokkei ; and at one time they worked together in the style of Hokusai. After the death of Utamaro, Yeizan imitated this master's work with much success ; and,while his signed productions in this style are deservedly popular, there is no doubt that he is the maker of many prints to which he affixed Utamaro's signature. Yeizan also imitated Toyokuni I. ; and shared the popularity of this man with Shunsen ; whose prints, belonging to the same period, were also then of good repute. The date of Yeizan's death is not known, but after about 1829 he turned his attention to authorship, and both wrote and illustrated many books. Yeizan's best work is in the style of Utamaro, whose choice of subjects he also followed closely, but he has a certain virility in his best prints which is quite distinctive. At his highest level, he is no mean rival of that great artist. 7618. C2 36 JAPANESE COLOUR PRINTS. The whole group with which this chapter has dealt, gave their best powers to the portraiture of women, choosing tall slender types, which allowed the finest use to be made of the graceful drapery and head-dress of the period. Several of them, and Utamaro and Yeizan in particular, made a special point of this last detail ; pro ducing prints of the bust only, in which the great built-up curves of the hair, with its supporting pins, are strikingly treated with solid or modulated black, in strong contrast to the slender faces, and lines of the shoulders beneath. As compositions, these prints are quite notable ; but in our eyes they lack the pictorial value of the full- length figures. The tendency of the whole group seems to have been to keep apart from the theatre, and everything connected therewith ; a characteristic which marks them out clearly from the later Torii, from Shunsho, and from the Utagawas, who form the subject of the next chapter. v. THE UTAGAWAS. The family, in the artistic sense of the word, who used the prefix Utagawa, was a numerous one and the most prolific of all the groups of colour-print designers. It arose at the time when the process was just perfected ; and held the market at that of its greatest popularity : with the usual result that an overwhelming demand, combined with increased technical and publishing facilities, soon degraded the art to the mere multiplication of examples of approved pattern, on lines which show few deviations attributable to the individuality of the makers. This did not come about quite at once ; and the founder of the school, Utagawa Toyoharu, (see page 22) is free from any signs of decadence. Of his principal pupil, however, this cannot quite be said ; and it is he who is the real head of the school. The first Toyokuni was the son of Gorobei Kurahashi, who lived during the period Horeki (a.d. 1751-63) near the Shinto Temple of Shimmei in the Shiba quarter of Yedo, and had a good reputation as a carver of wooden Buddhistic images, and also those of actors ; among the latter one of Ichikawa Hakuzo having especially gained popularity. Toyokuni's own name was Kumakichi. He was born in the year Meiwa 6 (a.d. 1769) and studied first the styles of Hana- busa Ichio (from whom he afterwards adopted the noms de pinceau Ichiyosai and Ichio) and Giokusan ; then attaching himself to Toyoharu, with whom he attained such popularity and success as soon to have many pupils of his own. He afterwards studied under Kiyotokusai Shunyei, from whom he acquired some of his more noticeable characteristics, especially in the treatment of actors' portraits. His dwellings were successively at Mishimacho, Shiba ; 38 JAPANESE COLOUR PRINTS. then at Yoshicho, and finally at Horiecho, Kami-mashicho-Kawa- gashi, all in Yedo. He died on the 7th day of the first month of the year Bunsei 8 (a.d. 1825), at the age of fifty-seven. At his death, between 500 and 600 of his drawings were buried with him ; a monument was raised to his memory, at Mita Hijirizaka in the Temple of Koun ; and he received, after his death, the Buddhist name of Jisaireg5. Toyokuni, in the course of his life was fre quently employed to give drawing-lessons to persons of good family : an unusual event in the career of a painter of the Popular School. Toyokuni's earlier prints are in the styles of the artists described in the two preceding chapters ; and like them he produced pictures of beautiful women in the prevailing fashion, which can be closely compared with those of Kiyonaga, Shuncho, Yeishi and Utamaro. For one of the most important phases of his work is entirely imita tive. He was a tradesman in his art ; and, as a rule, made just what sold best. So that we find him copying almost every other man who had a vogue. The idealistic writer may call this process an evolution of styles, and discourse pleasantly on " influences ; " but there is no doubt that the more sordid view is also the more accurate. That a personal rivalry existed between Utamaro and Toyokuni is a known fact. Thus when the latter produced a successful print of the story of the two lovers, Ohan and Choyemon, as played by the actor Ichikawa Yawozo and. his company, Utamaro promptly pub lished a version of his own, of the Same subject. And, again, a series of "Beauties of the Yoshiwara" by Toyokuni, was at once followed by another publication of a precisely similar nature by Utamaro. Utamaro seems, during his life, to have been always the more prosperous of the two. There is nothing to lead one to suppose that he ever deliberately imitated the style of another, apart from the question of subject, while Toyokuni is known not only to have copied Utamaro closely in every way under his own name, but to have forged the latter' s signature pretty freely. THE UTAGAWAS 39 Of these forgeries, there is none that can with certainty be identi fied in the Library, although of the several doubtful prints signed Utamaro, Toyokuni is probably entitled to his share. But more than one imitation of Utamaro's style can be referred to, as well as of those of the other artists mentioned above. It is, how ever, when we come to consider the portraits of actors in character, made by Toyokuni, that we realise his true position. He was much more than a mere copyist. Exercises in the manners of other men came easily to him, so thorough was his mastery of his art. And they only go to prove that while Toyokuni was, on their own ground, the equal of the best of his fellows, he kept always ari individuality. These portraits of actors, of which the Library possesses perhaps the finest series in existence, are the work of a master of the highest artistic rank, whatever be his social position. They have not the prettiness of the graceful, but, truth to tell, somewhat inane females of Toyokuni's predecessors and contemporaries. The face and pose are often hard and angular ; but, as anyone will admit who has ever seen a Japanese play, these qualities-are absolutely inherent in the Japanese actor at work. Indeed) the face was a mask, and the Japanese stage of old times held nothing like the human restlessness of an European actor. Thereon, movement was slow, studiously controlled, and worked into what was really nothing more than a series of tableaux ; exactly such as Toyokuni, in fact, represents over and over again with perfect realism. His rendering of dramatic emotion is intense ; but it is that of the Japanese, and not of the European actor. And the simplicity of his conventfon, the unerring lines of his composition, and the inimitable dignity of his subjects, when such is required of them, are all evidences of great and personal skill. ^His colour is always good, and generally in a somewhat sub dued key. The fallacy of attributing to him the first use of purple has already been pointed out. As a matter of fact, he employed it, on the whole, in a less degree than some others, and it certainly is anything but a conspicuous feature in his palette. What is a notable 40 JAPANESE COLOUR PRINTS. characteristic therein, is the fine use he made of black in solid mass. Probably no other artist of his class has excelled him in this respect- few have, even occasionally, equalled him. (~ In the best of the theatrical prints Toyokuni rarely indulges in a scenic background, or accessories of any kind other than the objects in the hands of the actors. His figures are placed in a setting fur nished either by the rich hue of the paper itself, or a simple wash of broken grey or light brown ; more rarely sprinkled with mica (micase). This simplicity gives force to the gentle colours employed in the design, and enables them to tell with full effect in combination with the almost inevitable black. ~J In his treatment of crowds, Toyokuni shows great resource. A superb six-sheet print in the Library (a rare form, in which the panels are arranged in two blocks of three each, one over the other), his repre sentation of the crowd on the bridge watching a fete on the Sumida river is both humorous and masterly (J. 6210), and in other secular scenes the same quality is observable. Towards the end of his life he grew more careless of style, in unison with the prevailing tendency; but he never entirely lost his distinction, and one selects his prints from a bundle of others with greater ease and certainty than those of any of his fellows. Toyokuni illustrated several books. One of the finest is a collection of portraits of actors, printed in the best style of the art, Yakusha Kono Teikishiwa, published by Injiudo at Yedo in 1801. Another, in the Library, represents scenes in the daily life and amusements of actors. He also collaborated with Toyohiro and Shunyei, furnishing the drawings of two volumes to the six supplied by the latter, of an Encyclopaedia of the Theatre, issued in 1806. It is worth noting that Utamaro made one plate for another work by Toyokuni and Kunimasa, published in 1799. Among the many pupils of Toyokuni I, some special importance must be given to one, if only because his work has almost always hitherto been attributed to his master, or to Kunisada. Naogiro is 'THe^UTAGAWAS. 41 said by some Japanese authorities to have been the son of Toyo kuni I, but it appears more likely that he was only an adopted son who continued to be a member of the household. His early work ir signed Toyoshige — a print in the Library bearing this signature with the added qualification " pupil of Toyokuni " is repro duced at page 66, — but most of it bears simply " Toyokuni," and some Gosotei Toyokuni, the similarity of the first of which appella tions to one of those of Kunisada Gototei, being an additional cause of the confusion which has arisen. This artist's private name was Genzo. He lived at Hongo, in the Harukimachi quarter of Yedo, and on the death of his master married his widow (second wife). He himself died in the year Tempo 6 (a.d. 1835), on the ist day of the nth month, at the age of fifty-nine. Gosotei Toyokuni worked in a somewhat hard style, not without strength, and with a scheme of colours common to the men of his generation. His style is singularly invariable, and his signature also, is always easily recognisable. He made one set of landscapes of great merit, in avowed imitation of those of Hiroshige, and his surimono are not infrequently met with. Most of his colour prints are devoted to theatrical subjects, in which, however, he never touches the level of his father by adoption. The statement that Kunisada adopted the signature of Toyokuni on the death of this artist is incorrect ; he delayed to do so for some ten years. We now have to deal with the best-known and most prolific of Toyokuni's pupils, Kunisada. The main facts, as far as at present known, of whose life, are as follows. He was born in Bushiu. His private name was Tsunada Shoz5 ; and a useful illustration of the social standing of the colour print maker of Japan is afforded by the fact that he also kept a ferry-boat at Yedo. When he was quite a small boy his father found that he was in the habit of drawing the faces of actors. Although he had had no instruction, he displayed such skill that the advisability of obtaining proper guidance for him was at once evident ; he was sent to Toyokuni I, where he was a 42 JAPANESE COLOUR PRINTS. pupil about the year Bunkwa 2 or 3 (a.d. 1805-6). He was very clever, and a great favourite with his teacher, succeeding so well at his craft that he began to obtain many commissions to illustrate books, publishing the first in Bunkwa 5 (a.d. 1808) ; and soon his reputation was greater than that of Toyokuni himself, not only in Yedo, Kyoto and Osaka, but even in the country districts. In the same year he made also a colour print portrait of the famous actor, Nakamura Utayemon, engraved by a fan-maker, Nishimuriya Yohachi, who was the first man to cut Kunisada's blocks. In Tempo 4 (a.d. 1833) he attended the studio of Hanabusa Ikkei and learned his style, taking the name of Hanabusa Ittei, and also that of Kachoro, the latter of which names often appears on his prints, and thus furnishes a means of dating approximately a good many of them. In Tempo 15 (a.d. 1844) he took his master's name, and on this occasion he sent to his friends a surimono (see Chap. X), con sisting of a portrait of himself with the signature Gototei Kunisada, and the inscription, " From this year I take the name of Toyokuni the second, 7th Day of the New Year." A copy of this rare and interesting print is in the collection of Michael Tomkinson, Esq., J. P., of Kidderminster. His adoption of this name, for which,* as already explained, he had no authority, excited a good deal of satirical comment among his acquaintances. The Japanese have a great liking for that kind of pun which really conveys a double meaning, and this step of Kunisada lent itself easily to several which have been preserved. For instance, the word " Utagawa " also means doubtful, and this play on one of his names was used unsparingly. Nise (second) can be translated " forgery," and here again, the credit of the artist suffered. In the year Kokwa 2 (a.d. 1847) he became a recluse, shaved his head, and was known henceforth simply as Shozo. He had lived in Yedo, at Kameido, near the Temman Temple; but in Kayei 5 (a.d. 1852) his pupil Kunimasa (the second of the name) married his daughter, taking the name of Kunisada II. (see p. 75),. THE UT AG AW AS. 43 and Kunisada then gave this house to him, moving to Yanagishima. He died on the 15th day of the 12th month of Genji 1 'a.d. 1864) at the age of seventy-nine; and, in spite of a reputation for gambling and other forms of dissipation, he had maintained his skill to the last, a print in the possession of the author, which is as good as any of his later work, bearing the inscription, " Toyokuni, made at the request of his friends in his seventy-eighth year." He was buried at Kameidomura, in the temple of Komyo, and, in accordance with Buddhist practice, received after his death the name of Hokokuin Teisho Gwasenshinshi. In spite of his nominal withdrawal from the world, however, he must have continued to design for colour prints ; for his work shows signs of continuation throughout the whole of his life. No artist produced more prints than did Kunisada, and in none is the decline of the art more consistently displayed. His early pro ductions are closely allied in merit and style to those of his master, with a tendency to a not ungraceful slenderness in the figures. But later he became the merest boiler of pots, and seems to have given up all control of his printers. In Kunisada's work is seen that growth of amazing multiplication of blocks, which was fatal to all the simplicity and directness of the old traditions. Yet his prints have intrinsic merits of their own ; and, if we had known no others, we should probably have found it easy to award them no slight meed of praise. Kunisada is at his best when working in a sort of version of the old Tosa style. A set of illustrations in this manner, made for the favourite romance, " The Adventures of Prince Genji," are among the most successful of his efforts. He, too, picked up Hiroshige's trick of landscape, and used it in his later years. His visit to Osaka and its results, are described in Chapter VII. ; he is known also to have worked at Kyoto, a record of which is a fine three-sheet print in blue, with the title in red. His numerous pupils must be dealt with later. Among the many names used on colour prints by Kunisada, the 44 JAPANESE COLOUR PRINTS. following are most often met with— generally in connection with that of Kunisada, Toyokuni or Toyokuni IL— Utagawa, Kachoro, Gototei, Ki-o, Kokuteisha, Ichiyosai, Ichiyusai. He illustrated some books — the Suikoden in 1829, a novel by Bakin in 1841-42, and another in 1849 in collaboration with other pupils of Toyokuni and himself, are representative examples, to be found in the Library col lection. He also made some of the prints mainly in shades of blue, with just a note of red and sometimes of green ; which are among the most delightful of the later broadsheets, the colours being closely copied from those of a well-known variety of Chinese porcelain. In this place it may be convenient to remark that Keisai Yeisen and Kuniyoshi also followed this fashion with equally fine results. Of the first Toyokuni's pupils, Utagawa Kuniyoshi is perhaps, next to Kunisada, the most famous and prolific. His own name was Ikusa Magosaburo, and he was also called Ichiyusai and Cho-o-roi He was the son of a silk dyer, Yanagiya Kichiuyemon, and at first followed his father's trade ; but, like other artizans of whom we have record, his love for the popular school of painting became so strong that he adopted it as a profession, attaching himself to Toyokuni I., and living with another pupil, Kuninao (see p. 47), whose influence so strongly affected him that he has been called a pupil of the latter, especially in landscape. Later in life he studied from Dutch prints, and European influence is strongly visible in much of his work. At first, about the end of the period Bunkwa (a.d. 1804-1817) he drew some murasakizoshi, but they failed to attract the public, and for a time he was without employment and almost destitute. However, he was so fortunate as to make the acquaintance of a popular comic poet, UmeyaKakuju (Murota Matabei), at whose suggestion several publishers gave him commissions which brought him a considerable amount of success. He also made a hit with three-sheet prints issued by Higashiya Daisuke, and with views of the waterfall of Ben ten at Oyama, Soshin, as well as with many portraits of actors in which branch of his art he was unable, however, to hold his own, THE UTAGAWAS. 45 with Toyokuni and Kunisada. At- the end of the period Bunsei (a.d. 1818-1829) he published a famous series of pictures of the Hundred and Eight Chinese Heroes (Suikoden), besides illustrating many books. He also designed a number of humorous pictures in the manner of Katsukawa Shunyei ; and eventually developed a quite distinctive style, in which the European influence already alluded to is very marked. At the beginning of the period Tempo, he was recognised as a master of the Ukiyo-ye School ; but admiring the methods of the famous lacquer artist Zeshin, he devoted some time to studying under him, and to mark this change, took the name of Senshin. Kuniyoshi was renowned among his fellows for his skill in making comic poetry, which he signed Wafutei Kuniyoshi ; using, to represent the last syllable, a character different from that of his artist signature. He lived the whole of his life in Yedo, at Hon- shiroganecho Nichome, Yonezawacho and Shinizumecho Genyadana, and died in the ist year of Bunkiu (a.d. 1861) on the 5th day of the 3rd month, being buried at the Daisen Temple of Asakusa Shintera- machi. He lived a life of dissipation, and is recorded to have been tattooed on his back ! Kuniyoshi's best work is found in his battle pieces, which, though executed with many of the faults of the decadence in colouring, show amazing vigour, and no mean power of imagination. He executed a good series of portraits of the " Forty-Seven Ronin ; " and his later landscapes, with their modern colouring and obviously European suggestion, are by no means to be despised. The Library is so for tunate as to possess two sketch books, of undoubted authenticity, by Kuniyoshi, which are of the highest interest. Theyshowhismethods of drawing with the brush, and also contain some studies from the nude in quite western methods. As a painter, Kuniyoshi held his own among his contemporaries of the same school. As a maker of colour prints he would, had he lived earlier and come under better conditions of production, have held very high rank indeed, His early prints are rare, 46 JAPANESE COLOUR PRINTS. Before passing on to the next generation, pupils of these men, there are several more of their contemporaries, pupils of Toyokuni I., to be considered. One of the most important of these was Utagawa Kunimasa, called also Ichijusai, who had the family name of Jinsuke. He was born at Aidzu, and gained his living at first as a workman in a dye-house ; but, being infatuated with the drama, spent the whole of his spare time in theatres, and developed a taste for the drawing of portraits of actors; in which he soon attained great skill. His employer happened to be an intimate friend of Toyokuni I., and, encouraging the young man in his new art, finally introduced him to that artist, who undertook his instruction. Kunimasa also made designs for round-shaped fans, which at once achieved great popularity. His portraits of actors were so successful, and had a reputation so much higher than those of Toyokuni, that on this account alone, he was said by some to have been the latter's master. There is no doubt, however, that the reverse was the case. Kunimasa made other broadsheets, but the imperfection of his drawing prevented them from reaching the standard of his portraiture. He died at the early age of thirty-eight, in Bunkwa 7 (a.d. 1810), on the 30th day of the nth month. His work must on no account be confused with that of a later artist, Kunimasa II. , who was a pupil of Kunisada, and had the names Yamashita, Yugo and Chobunsai; or with that Kunimasa III., an artist of greater skill, who is better known as Kunisada II. , and was also a pupil of the same master (see p. 75). Utagawa Kuninaga (Ichi-un-sai and Umesen-no-suke) was born in Yedo and lived at Shibaguchi san-chome, and later at Shinbashi Kinrokucho. He, also, was a pupil of Toyokuni I. and was famous for his designs for lanterns, besides being a skilled musician. It is recorded that he was a great friend of two popular buffoons, Sakur- agawa Zenko and Sakuragawa Jinko. He died during the period Bunkwa (a.d. 1804-1817) aged over forty years. His prints are in the same style as those of his master, and are of good quality. THE UT AG AW AS. 47 Utagawa Kunimitsu (KumazS, Ichiyosai) also an early pupil of Toyokuni I. lived at various localities in Yedo. He made some fine portraits of actors, and had a reputation especially for his colour among the Japanese. His date is not known, but his work belongs to the same period as that of the last-named. Utagawa Kuniyasu, also called Yasugoro and Ipposai, was born in Yedo and lived at Daimondori Muramatsucho, afterwards moving to Hon jo Ogibashi. When quite young he dwelt for a time with Toyokuni I. and learned his style, first publishing nishikiye at the beginning of the period Bunkwa (a.d. 1804-1817), a portrait of -the actor Utayemon in the play " Tadanobu Michiyuki " being said to be his earliest work. After a short time, however, he changed his name to N ishikawa Yasunobu, but no prints bearing this signature have yet been noted. However, he resumed his old appellation, Kuniyasu, and again produced a large number, as well as a quantity of book illustrations. He died in the first year of Tempo (a.d. 1830) aged only a little over thirty years. Utagawa Kuninao was the artist name of Taizo Yoshikawa, also called Shirobei, Ichiyensai, Ichiyosai, Ukiyo-an, Riuyenro, Riuyendo, and Sharaku-o. He was born in Shinano, and lived at Yedo, first at Kojimachi and afterwards at Tadokoro-cho. He first studied the Chinese style, and then that of Hokusai, but eventually became a pupil of Toyokuni I. But being desirous of creating a style of his own, he gave up work for a time and devoted himself again to study. At the beginning of the period Tempo (a.d. 1830-1843) however, he once more began to paint and design for colour-prints. His early productions are not without merit, and are by no means common. He collaborated with Oishi Matora, Kuniyoshi and Keisai Yeisen, in the production of a very beautiful book, Jinji Ando, designs for lanterns (Nagoya, 1829- 1835). Kunimaru (Ichiyensai, Bunji, Gosairo, Honchoan, Keiuntei, Saikaro) was born at Kawagoye in Musashi, and lived at Yedo in Honcho Nichome Ukiyo-koji. He was a person of unusual culture for his social position, and had the friendship of many literary men ; 48 JAPANESE COLOUR PRINTS. being himself anexpert in the kind of poetry called hikai. He studied under Toyokuni I. and also became famous for his calligraphy. His prints, which are rare, are notable for the grace of the slender female figures which he introduces. He died about the year 1817, aged a little over thirty years. Other pupils of Toyokuni I. were Kunitsugu (Ko-zo), Kuniteru, Sadashige, (Jinuyemon), Kunitaki, Kunitada, Kuninobu (Kaneko Sotaro, Ichireisai), Kunichika (Ichiyosai, Kaseisha, Osai, Kwachoro Toyohara, Ikkeisai), Kunifusa, Kunitane, Kunikatsu, Kunitera, Kunikane, (Ipposai), Kunitaka, Kunimune, Kunihiko, (Kokkisha) Kunitoki, Kuniyuki, Kunitsuna (Ichiransai, Ichirantei), Kunikiyo, Kunimitsu 1 1., and others, chiefly known by the prefix " Kuni," though this was also used by pupils of Toyokuni Gosotei, and, in some instances, of Kunisada. The Library possesses one print (J. 6114) signed " Toyokuni of the third generation " (Toyokuni III). This is a later artist than any mentioned above. His work is quite unimportant, and his existence is only worth recording, as evidence of that trans mission of the name of a leader of a group, which is so unique and striking a characteristic of Japanese art. It is now necessary to retrace our steps in order to deal with pupils of Toyoharu other than Toyokuni I. The greatest of these was Toyohiro, who was born in 1773, and died in 1828. His other names were Okajima Tojird and Ichiryusai. Besides the production of many colour prints, Toyohiro was a book illustrator of note, and produced several fine volumes of views printed in colours. He was a landscape painter of distinction, and deserves attention in this respect especially, as the master of Hioshige I. His colour prints are good ; among the Japanese of the day they were considered to be inferior to those of Toyokuni I.— whose brother he may have been — in drawing, but better in colour. Other pupils of Toyoharu were Toyohisa, Toyomaru, and Hichi- zemon, the latter being, as far as is known, a book illustrator only. THE UT AG AW AS. 49 In this place it will be convenient to refer to an artist who does not claim kinship with any of the recognised masters of Ukiyoye, Toshiusai Sharaku, whose family name was Saito Jurobei. Sharaku was a No dancer by profession, in the service of the Daimyo Hichi- suka of Awa. He made portraits of actors for a very short time only, about the year 1790, and these of the most striking individuality and power, in spite of their somewhat repellent effect in our eyes. They are generally of the bust only, though Mr. Morrison and M. Hayashi both note full-length figures by him. These are generally of rather large dimensions, and done on silvered backgrounds ; they are very rare, and it is probable that most of the known examples are in the hands of French amateurs who have assiduously collected them. Sharaku exercised an undoubted influence on Toyokuni I. and Kunimasa. 7618, P VI. HOKUSAI. Hokusai was born at Yedo, in the Honjo quarter, in the 9th month of the 10th year of the period Horeki (i.e., October-November, 1760) He is said by almost all the authorities to have been the son of a mirror-maker, Nakajima Issai, and the balance of evidence seems to be in favour of the statement ; although another account calls him the son of Kawamura Ichiroyemon, an artisan of unknown profes sion. This latter story relates that he was adopted at an early age by Nakajima, but M. Revon*argues with much force that Kawamura was more likely to have fulfilled this office towards him. Another story makes Hokusai derive his descent on his mother's side from Kira, who was killed by the Forty-Seven Ronin in revenge for the death of their masterf ; but this appears to rest on a somewhat un certain foundation, though one of his friends relates that Hokusa always claimed it. J However these things may be, Hokusai was an eldest son (he had the name Tokitaro, first-born son) and left his father's home to earn his living at an early age. His first employment was at a book-shop, where, says M. de Goncourt, he did his work with such idleness and scorn that he was shown the door. Next, under the name of Tetsuzo, he worked for some years (about 1773-1775) at the art of wood-engraving. He is known to have cut some of the blocks, and particularly the sixth page of a book by Sancho, published in the * Etude sur Hoksa'i; par Michel Revon. Paris, 1896. | Other dates given are the 3rd day of the ist month of Hijreki 9 ; and 18th day of the 1st month of Horeki 10. But M. Revon states that the above date is written by Hokusai himself on a drawing of Daikoku in possession of the bookseller Kobayashi. X The magazine of Japanese Fine Art says his family name was Nakamura Hachiyemon and that he was called Katsushika from the district in which he lived. (Vol. I.). HOKUSAI. 51 latter year, an experience which must have proved most valuable to him in after life. It is practically certain that these two influences turned his attention towards the practice of art on his own account. At the age of eighteen he entered the studio of Katsugawa Shun sho, and as a mark of favour, was soon invested by his master with the name Katsugawa Shunro, the first signature found on his broad sheets (see J. 4904). But this favour was soon cancelled by an action which was charac- . teristic of the whole temperament of the artist. Hokusai was not content with the style of his master, and set himself to study the Kano method — that of one of the aristocratic schools of Japan. In anger, Shunsho forbade him the use of the name Katsugawa, and expelled him. At about the same time he had designed a sign for a picture-dealer in this style. It was seen by Shunko, a fellow pupil and the most faithful follower of Shunsho, who tore it to pieces before the eyes of Hokusai himself. The latter made no protest at the time, but contented himself with a vow to become the greatest painter in the world in spite of it. He always said in later life that if he had really succeeded in gaining the rank of a great artist, it was Shunko's insult that had impelled him thereto. This happened in I785- He now changed his name, first to Sono Shunro, and very soon to Goummatei, which appears on several of his book illustrations ; bui in 1787 his admiration for the works of Tawaraza Sori, a contempo rary painter with affinities to the Tosa school and the style of Korin, caused him to adopt for a time the signature Hishikawa Sori. His work, however, brought him so small a subsistence that for a while he abandoned it to hawk, first red pepper and then calendars, about the streets. After suffering extreme poverty for several months, however, a fortunate commission to paint a banner for the Feast of Boys enabled him to resume his own profession. During the year 1789, he illustrated many books ; and about 1793 or 1794 he made his first appearances as a painter with such success 7618. p 2 5"2 JAPANESE COLOUR PRINTS. that he was selected with others by the artist Kano Yusen to help in the restoration of the great temple of Nikko. Unfortunately, a hasty criticism of one of Yusen's drawings brought about his dis missal before he arrived there, and Hokusai was again thrown on his own resources. His period of apprenticeship was, however, not yet finished. He now worked successively under Torin II. , Hiroyuki, and Shiba Kokan (who taught him something of European methods); and then underwent a course of study of the great Chinese painters of the Ming Dynasty (a.d. 1368-1616). In 1799 he again changed his style, and now took for the first time the name by which he is always known, a name which, however, in full is Hokusai Shinsei (spirit of the , Northern Constellation, the Great Bear ; in Japanese called hoku- A shin-sei). He soon altered his signature again to Raito, Raishin (these in commemoration of an escape from lightning)/TaTtch Tei-itsu, . and Tokitaro Kak5 (see J. 958). The name Shinsei he had already / given to a pupil. His fame now began to increase, and with it an ). independence of spirit of which one story is so typical that it is wortriT, repeating. The captain and doctor of a Dutch ship, during a visit '-' to Yedo, each commissioned a pair of makimono (painted rolls) repre senting the life of a Japanese from the cradle to the grave, The stipulated price was high, but the captain paid for his rolls without question. The doctor, however, haggled, first offered half, and then to purchase one roll only. Hokusai refused, and took his work away. His wife reproached him with having declined the money in their state of poverty, but Hokusai replied that it was better to do so, lest it should be thought that a Japanese did not mean what he said. When the captain heard of this incident, he is reported to have hastened to buy the drawings himself. At this time Hokusai sold a good deal of his work to the Dutch, but after a time this traffic was put a stop to by the Shogun, who feared that his drawings might reveal details of the national defences. It is very probably thus that the collection of M. Titsingh (see p. 28) contained specimens of Hokusai's work. Certainly many came to Europe at that time, HOKVSAi. 53 and possibly are still preserved in Holland, though none have yet been identified. In 1804 Hokusai executed the first of those tours de force, of which the Japanese tell so many stories. It was a gigantic drawing in Indian ink of the Deity Dharma; and though it is said to have measured 200 square metres, he completed it in a few minutes, running backwards and forwards, and painting with brooms from a cask of ink. The crowdwho watched this amazing performance could recognise nothing, until some one had the idea of ascending to the roof of the temple, when the whole design became intelligible. The mouth was as large as a gate through which a horse might enter, and within each of the eyes was space for a seated man. Several similar gigantesque drawings are recorded, in which Hokusai surpassed all earlier professors of this sort of artistic leger-de-main ; and by way of showing his versatility, he went to the other extreme and drew two sparrows on a grain of corn, so small that they could not be seen with the naked eye. He also displayed his dexterity by drawing in any direction, from bottom to top or from right to left, with his finger, an egg, a bottle, or even a wine measure ;* and in these ways secured a hold on the imagination of the populace in Japan which certainly has assisted to gain his great popular reputation. His renown caused him to be summoned to display his skill before the Shogun Iyenari. The artist Tani Buncho was also in attendance, and drew first with great applause. Hokusai followed in the same manner ; and then, on one of the karakami (screen-like doors of paper) he drew a river of deep blue, and, dipping the feet of a cock, which he had brought, in red colour, caused him to walk over it in such a way as to produce a picture of the river Tatsuta with autumn- coloured maple leaves floating down the stream. Buncho confessed himself beaten and astonished, and Hokusai at once became a popular idol. In 1807 Hokusai first collaborated with the great writer Bakin in * M. Revon. 54 JAPANESE COLOUR PRINTS. . the " Life of the Hundred Heroes." When the first volume was finished they quarrelled, and rather than lose the artist's illustrations the publisher employed another author (Takai Ranzan) to complete the text. In succeeding years, however, Hokusai and Bakin fre quently worked together, although the strength of character of each gave rise to continual disputes. In 1817 Hokusai paid a visit of six months' duration to his pupil Bokusen at Nagoya, where he produced the first volume of his most famous work, the Hokusai Mangwa.* In the spring of 1818 he visited successively the provinces of Ise and Kishiu, staying a time at Osaka and Kyoto. At the latter place , the centre of the old aristocratic schools of painting, he had some small success ; but his talents were more appreciated in Yedo, to which he soon returned. In 1831 or 1832 he visited a former pupil of the painter Ganku, Takai Sankuro, who had attached himself to him; and after a further short stayat Yedohewent, inthewinterof 1834-35, to Uraga, under the name of Muraya Hachiyemon, a journey which seems to have been undertaken for precautionary reasons of some sort. In the autumn of 1836 he returned once more to Yedo, in the midst of a severe famine, through which he had great difficulty in gaining a mere living by selling sketches at the most nominal prices, and by exhibitions of his amazing dexterity in brush-work. In 1839 occurred a great misfortune, not only for Hokusai, but for the world. His house was burned, and therewith an enormous collection of drawings and studies. He saved his brushes only, and started afresh with a broken bottle for water-pot and fragments of glass on which to mix his colours. The struggle with poverty continued, but the artist's work never lost the freshness and spontaneity of youth. He himself said many times that he intended to live to the age of a hundred years, but in 1849 he was smitten with a fatal sickness. Almost at the very last he was heard to say, " If the gods had but given me ten years * See below, p. 59. HOKUSAI. 55 more ..." and a moment later, " If I had had but five years longer, I could have become a great painter ! " He died on the 18th day of the 4th month of Kayei (ioth May, 1849).* This volume affords space for the consideration of one section only of the work of Hokusai — his colour prints. His paintings and illus trated books must, so far as detailed criticism is concerned, be passed over on the present occasion, while the surimono are dwelt with in the chapter devoted to that special class. The earliest of Hokusai's broadsheets are rare ; the Library pos sesses one specimen only (J. 4904). They were made while he was still under the influence of Shunsho, and bear the signature Shunro. As might be expected, they have all the characteristics of that school ; but the figures, in place of the hardness and angularity of those of his master, show more grace and refinement, but as yet no trace of the freedom from the conventions of the Ukiyo-ye School, which after wards distinguished the younger artist. The same may be said for the " Twelve Scenes of the Chushingura," signed Kako (J. 958), except/that the figures are poor compared with the former. Hoku- sai's style was yet to come, both in figure and landscape. Hokusai made but few broadsheets on lines similar to those of his contemporaries, and most of these, belong to his earlier years. Among them are several pictures of actors ; and, in the surimono and smaller prints, some exquisite drawings of women. But the best of his large nishikiye are devoted to idealistic compositions, of which we may specify two having the carp as the principal subject. One of these, of unusually large dimensions, is the Japanese favourite symbol of perseverance, the carp forcing his way up a waterfall ; the o ther (of which a fine impression is in the Library) is a magnificent design of the same fish in the midst of a swirling eddy of water. Certain long, narrow prints, of about eight inches in height, by over twenty in width, coloured Hghtly and pleasantly with a scheme in * The Magazine of Japanese Art says 19th April, 1850, at the age of 90; and M. de Goncourt, 13th April, 1849. 56 JAPANESE COLOUR PRINTS. which rose-pink and green play the chief parts, are also well worthy of attention. An excellent example of this style shows some court ladies in a garden, preparing for the chrysanthemum festival (J. 4844). The figures of women in these prints are drawn with a re finement and delicacy that none of the other artists of the Ukiyoye School ever equalled, and one cannot help regretting that Hokusai did not make more pictures of a similar nature. It is by his landscapes that Hokusai is best known in this country ; and these are so entirely removed from the work in this class done by other Japanese print-makers that no apology is needed for dealing with them in this place, rather than in the chapter specially devoted to the subject. They were issued in series, of which none is more famous nor better merits its reputation, than that entitled, " The Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji." These were published during the years 1823 to 1829. They are about ten by fifteen inches in dimensions, and almost all executed in a characteristic colouring of light blues, greens and yellows, with here and there a note of rich red or brown to give strength and contrast. The signature is generally " Hokusai Tame- /< kazu," with additions ; and the series, in spite of its title, consists, when complete, of forty-six plates. It is difficult to speak in measured language of this set of prints. As compositions they are unsurpassed, and should, for this reason alone, form part of the course of study of every landscape painter. The boldness and vigour of the drawing, the amazing dexterity of the arrangement, and their intense concentration, put them on the very highest level as works of fine art. Above all, the mere human ity of them — for not one is without its suggestion of pathos or humour — makes an appeal of the strongest. One feels how per fectly the artist takes his audience into his confidence. It is not only a piece of fine landscape that he offers us ; but this is presented in such a way that we share with him the intimate pleasure of look ing at it. HdKUSAI. S7 A detailed account of so long a series is, of course, out of the question in a handbook of this kind. They have been described at length in M. de Goncourt's monograph on the artist, and M. Revon has an excellent chapter on the spirit which underlies them — that deep-seated love of nature at large, and of Fuji in particular, which is so strongly felt by every Japanese. An old-world tradition re lated that the mountain had been formed in the fifth year of the Emperor Korei (b.c. 285) by a convulsion of nature, which at the same time, by way of compensation, created the beautiful Lake Biwa. Certain it is thaf these are the two natural features of their country best beloved by the Japanese, and innumerable folk-tales and legends circle round them. It was fitting that this great theme should inspire the greatest of the artists of the Japanese democracy to his best work. Hokusai painted other views of Fuji, some of which form the sub jects of colour prints ; but although book-illustration in the ordinary sense of the word hardly enters into the scope of this volume, it is impossible to ignore his other great publication on the subject Fugaku Hiakku, " The Hundred Views of Mount Fuji," a superb set of compositions in tinted line, published in 1834-1835 by Nishimura of Yedo (vols. 1 and 2, engraved by Yegawa Tomikitchi and his pupils), and Yerakuya Toshiro of Nagoya (vol. 3, engraved by Yegawa Sentaro). This work has one hundred and fifty cuts ; two other editions of it were published at Nagoya, one in black only, and another tinted. A reproduction with English text by F. V. Dickins was also published in London in 1880. The other chief sets of prints by Hokusai in this style are, " Pictur esque Views of Famous Bridges in the Provinces," eleven in number, signed, " Zen Hokusai Tamekazu," and published by Yeijudo, the famous publisher, whose portrait Toyokuni drew ; a fine set in the original edition, the quaint forms of the old Japanese bridges being especially suited to Hokusai's method ; " Waterfalls of the Pro vinces," a set of eight plates in the same style and from the same 58 JAPANESE COLOUR PRINTS. publishing house ; and the " Eight Views of the Riukiu (Loochoo) Islands," published by Moriyama. The two former series are some what similar in colour to the views of Fuji ; in the latter a fine blue and red are the characteristic tints employed. Of each of these series, reprints from the original blocks, much cruder in tone, are frequently met with. The Library possesses a rare set of views of the Tokaido, small in size, and about six and a half inches square, or nearly ; in which the figures of travellers, humorously treated, are of more importance than the landscape, the latter being only suggested. It contains fifty-six plates, and was published by Nishimura at Yedo in 1798 and 1799 ; another series of larger size and the same subject was in the Hayashi collection. In 1799 was issued the first edition, in black only, of the well- known Azuma Asobi, " Walks round the Eastern Capital (Yedo)," engraved by Ando Yenchi, with descriptive text by Senso-an. This was re-issued in colours in 1802 ; in either form it is a charming production. Two of the plates are worthy of special note — a view of the lodging of the Dutchmen at Nagasaki, with certain Japanese street idlers making fun of the queer strangers within; and a picture* of the interior of the shop of the publisher Tsutaya Juzaburo, who issued the book, and was one of the principal employers of colour print designers of the time. It shows large stacks of prints, among which three assistants are busy, and Tsutaya himself coming forward to attend to a customer — a Samurai, by the way — for whom a heavily-loaded servant waits outside. Two similar sets of colour prints, issued in book form, are Toto meisho ichiran, " Views in the Celebrated Quarters of Yedo," by the same engraver ; and Yehon Sumidagawa riogan ichiran, " Views on both banks of the Sumida River," published in 1806 by Senkwado Tsuruya, with text by Kojiro Narayasu. Several illustrations of the scenes of the " Drama of the Faithful * Reproduced in Japanese Illustration, p. 67. HOKUSAI. 50 Retainers " were done by Hokusai. One is quite early, and bears the rare. signature Kako ; another, better known, is in the customary twelve plates, and was published by Idzumi Ichi. It is impossible to close an account of the work of Hokusai without a mention of his masterpiece, the Hokusai Mangwa, " Sketches of Hokusai." These are studies, marvellously able, of every subject conceivable ; lightly drawn, slightly tinted, and full of humour and observation. The publication of them was spread over a number of years. Of the fifteen volumes, M. de Goncourt, without quoting his authority, states that the first was published in 1812, the second in 1814, the third in 1815, the next five in 1816, and the ninth and tenth in 1819. M. Revon, however, points out that the circumstances and date of Hokusai's visit to Bokusen at Nagoya, the occasion on which the scheme was made, are well known; and provable by existing docu ments, only to have taken place in the early part of 1817; and that the first appearance of any of the book can only have been possible, therefore, in the autumn of that year. It is certain, however, that the first ten volumes had appeared by the date above given ; the blocks were then brought by Yerakuya Toshiro of Nagoya, who issued two more volumes in 1834, and an additional two in 1849. A fifteenth volume of posthumous works has appeared since. Nothing has gained wider fame for Hokusai than this encyclopaedia of Japan ese life, for so it must be called. It holds the first place among Japanese illustrated books, and the student will find it a perfect treasure house of material and suggestion. An extract from the preface is worth recording, since it shows the light in which Hokusai was regarded by the friends associated with him in its production. Translated freely, it reads : " Hokusai, the painter of so extra ordinary a talent, after having travelled in the West, has stayed in our city (Nagoya), and there he has made the acquaintance of our friend Bokusen, has entertained himself by discussing with him the subject of drawing, and in these conversations has executed more than three hundred designs. Now, we wished that these lessons 6o Japanese Colour prWTS. should be made profitable to all those who learn drawing, and it has been decided to print them in> a volume ; and when we asked Hokusai what title should be given thereto, he said simply, ' Mangwa,' to which we have added, his name." A laborious but accurate translation of the word is " Drawing as it comes spontane ously." 1 In a similar style of production many other volumes were pub lished, among which our purpose will be served by a reference only to two volumes of drawings of birds, Kwachd Gwafu. : The position of Hokusai in Japanese art is generally misunder stood. As a painter he is not of the first rank, outside of his own school, that of the Ukiyoye. - He lacked the loftiness of ideal (from the Japanese point of view) and the refinement of classical training. With us who do not understand these things, he is, and always will be, one of the great artists of the world. But we must not make the mistake of considering his greatness as typically Japanese. The qualities that ensure it in our eyes do not count in its favour among the artists of his own country. As a personality he is also great. Poor, but of an indomitable pride, he held on the way of his art with supreme perseverance. He had no pride in his artistic merits. In his preface to the " Hundred Views of Mount Fuji " (1834) he wrote, " From the age of six years I had a fancy for drawing the forms of various objects. At the age of fifteen I had illustrated many books, but up to that of seventy, I was still not skilful. It was only when sixty-three years old that I began to understand how to draw well animals, birds, insects, fishes and plants. At eighty I shall have a considerable talent, at ninety I shall be better still, at a hundred I shall be sublime, at a hundred and ten, finally, I shall render life to a single line, to a single point. Let no one mock at these words." It is impossible not to appreciate the humility and the sub-acid irony of this simple outburst. In effect it is often repeated by him, and, as we have seen, was in his mind when he died. Hokusai left many pupils. He who was most intimately con- HOKUSAI. 61 nected with the master was Yanagawa Shigenobu, and for this reason may be mentioned here, although much'of his work belongs to the Osaka school which is dealt with separately. His private name was Suzuki Jiubei, and he took the first of his artist names from the Hon jo Yanagawacho in Yedo, where he lived. He married the eldest daughter of Hokusai, and was a source of continual trouble to his father-in-law, whose work he forged, among other escapades. Eventually his wife returned to her father, and Shigenobu settled in Osaka, where besides colour prints he made dolls. He illustrated many books, and was actually engaged on one by Bakin when he died, in 1832, at the age of fifty years. His work was completed by his pupil Jiuzan. Shigenobu made a number of surimono in the -style of Hokusai, but his colour prints show none of the influence of that artist, and belong almost exclusively to the Osaka school. The life of Hokkei, the most skilful of the pupils of Hokusai, is given on page 101, because his principal work in colour printing was devoted to surimono. But he made a few broadsheets in the Osaka style, and these are usually signed Shunyosai Hokkei. As a painter he was of considerable merit, working in the style of his master, from whose productions, indeed, the best of those by Hokkei can only with difficulty be distinguished. His book illustration, also, is of the best, and extends in date over the period from 1810 to 1856. Teisai Hokuba (1770-1844) was another especially talented pupil of Hokusai, whose renown rests more on his painting than on any other branch of art. His personal name was Arisaka Gorohachi, and he sometimes signed Shunshunsai. He lived at Yedo, first in the Kanda district and then in Shitaya, and was left-handed. The great painter Tani Buncho was an admirer of Hokuba's work, and employed him as his assistant in decorative painting for temples. Hokuba worked in a fine and delicate style ; his surimono are ex quisite, and his book illustration quite good. He also made a number of humourous pictures. Shinsai, the heir to one of Hokusai's early names, made one or two 62 JAPANESE COLOUR PRINTS. very rare broadsheets, but is known only by his numerous surimono. His family name was Hanjiro Masayuki, and he also signed Ryuryu- kyo. He is known to have been at work in 1803, when he illustrated in colours a collection of poems compiled by Shunman (the artist) and Kanro-an ; but his other known productions must all be later. Hoku-un, a carpenter whom Hokusai loved for the simplicity of his character, settled eventually at Nagoya. He was also named KingorS, Bungoro and Tozainan. He too published a collection of sketches, Hoku-un Mangwa, in 1818, under the auspices of the pub lisher Yerakuya ; and collaborated with Hokusai, Hokutei and Bokusen in a volume of sketches made at one stroke of the brush, Ippitsu Gwafu, issued by the same publisher in 1823. Of the other two artists mentioned above, Katsushika Hokutei (Yeisai), worked also at Yedo ; and Bokusen, at Nagoya, was the friend of Hokusai at whose house his great Mangwa was undertaken (see above). Bokusen is known to have made surimono, and to have illustrated books between 1809 and 1823, signing, as a rule, Gekkwotei Bokusen. The Library possesses part of the Bokusen Sogwa, sketches from life, issued at Nagoya in 1815, and printed in colours. Hotei Hokuga, a poor painter, is said to have been particularly skilled in the mixing of excellent colours, which he gave generously to his friends, but himself turned to small account. Katsushika Isai (also called Shimizu Shoji, Suiyoken) whose name was given him by Hokusai, was of later date than most of the above. His surimono are sometimes met with, and he made book illustrations between 1858 and 1868, as well as a few broadsheets. Hokusui was a maker of pipes, who abandoned his calling to become a painter. His family name was Ikedaya Kuizaburo, and he lived at Yedo in the Nihonbashi Yokohamacho, Itchome district. On taking up his new profession he changed his name to Asaiio Uyemon, and also acquired the nickname Unobori Sanjin (celebrated man like a mountain). He made what was evidently in his day a notable journey, travelling throughout all Japan ; and one record HOKUSAI. 63 of this may exist in the series of " One Hundred Views of Kyoto," a pretty set of landscapes, of which five are in the Library (J. 919-923). They are of small size, but well conceived, and not badly coloured in the later style. Hokusai left many other pupils, whose names are given at length by M. de Goncourt, and M. Revon (pp. 136-138) ; and much of their work is catalogued by M. Hayashi. Some are not detailed here, because they seem to have worked exclusively at Osaka, and in the peculiar style of that place ; and these latter are the only ones notable as designers of colour prints. Most of the above were painters and illustrators of books, but it has seemed right to give a brief account of them if only for the bearing of this development on the general history of the art. VII. THE OSAKA GROUP. Several references have already been made, incidentally, to the existence of a school of colour-print artists who worked at Osaka. These begin to appear in the second decade of the eighteenth century. They devoted themselves almost entirely to theatrical subjects, portraits of actors either from life or in character, and scenes from plays ; and seem to have been dominated by a tradition more hard and fast than any that influenced their fellows of Yedo. The Osaka prints can easily be recognised by a certain hardness of treatment, combined with brilliancy of colouring, which is derived from the great masters of Yedo in this class of work, Shunsho and Toyokuni I. In actual training the majority of the Osaka men owed allegiance to Shunyei, Hokusai, and Kunisada. Nothing is known of any definite connection of the former artist with the city. Hokusai visited Osaka in 1818 and undoubtedly was well-known there ; while of the com mencement of Kunisada's connection with the place we have a most interesting record in a fine print in three panels, of which a copy is in the Library (J. 6183). This is a representation, in Kunisada's best manner, of the dressing-rooms, corridors and general internal arrange ments of the Dotombori Theatre, carried on in connection with the great Otei refreshment house at Osaka. In it one sees actors in every phase of their professional life — learning their parts, making up, undressing, gossiping, coming and going, with all their various attendants and assistants. The print is published by Nishimuriya, with an announcement that it was issued as a memorial of Kunisada's visit to Osaka. The artist, he informs his patrons, had already painted the three great theatres of Yedo in the same way with great success, Now he had come to Osaka, and would do similar worl? • THE OSAKA GROUP. 65 there, of which Nishimuriya intended to publish many more ex amples. There is, unfortunately, no date to this interesting example, but it cannot have been much later than 1820. In view of the fact that many of Kunisada's pupils settled in Osaka, no effort of the imagination is required to conceive that it had the expected success. This valuable piece of evidence is almost the only historical docu ment which throws any direct light on what has hitherto been a most obscure branch of the subject ; but taken in conjunction with other indications, it leaves no doubt as to the origin of a large proportion of the cult of the colour print at Osaka. Before proceeding to what can, by reason of the dearth of informa tion recorded, be little better than a list of the names of the Osaka artists, some few facts derived from a careful comparison of their work may be noted. The whole output of this group must have been the work of practi cally one generation, and have been produced during the period from about 1820 to 1845. The great mass of the prints by artists of each of the three sub-schools indicated above was issued by four pub lishers only ; and the fact that they divided the publication among them indiscriminately — almost every man of importance having been employed by at least three, and occasionally by two at a time in the issue of series — shows that these publishers were contempor aries. Their names were Honsei, Wataki, Tenki (Temmanya Kihei) and Kinkwado Konishi. Other publishers more rarely seen are Yamaka, Kinkodo, Shuwocho (who employed, but not exclusively, a small group of men with the prefix " Ashi " to their names), Mat subaya, and Yamamatsu. The chief engravers — who also worked for different publishersindiscriminately— -were Ono,Kumadzo, Horikuma and Horikane ; and among the printers we find Suritoyo, Kwaku- seido and I-ida. This last matter of engraving and printing is of special importance, for among the Osaka broadsheets we find some of the best printing done in the later period of the art. The colours, as already said, are always brilliant ; and therewith are used metallic 7618. E 66 JAPANESE COLOUR PRINTS. dusts, bronze and silver, with great effect, something after the style of the surimono, but with more breadth of treatment. Another slight variant in these prints was the fashion of making two and four-sheet pictures ; those of Yedo being almost invariably, when more than one sheet was required, either in three or five compart ments. Of the pupils of Kunisada who worked at Osaka, Gokotei Sadakage is one of the best. He drew with a graceful, expressive line, and his colour is good. He also made a few of the blue prints already spoken of, and did some large, broadly-conceived heads of women. Kage- toshi was a pupil of this man. Sadafusa (Gokitei, Kitchoro) was a native of Osaka, as also was Sadanobu (Hishigawa, Kinkwado). Sadafusa was contemporary with Kuniyasu and Gosotei Toyokuni, and worked in much the same style. There were two other artists of this name. All three used different characters for the final part of their signatures ; but that of Hishigawa Sadanobu, the most important of the three, can be recognised, because it is the same in this respect as was employed by Harunobu. By Sadanobu we have a print which not only gives a useful date for his own work, but also that of the publisher, Tenki, and the en graver Ono. It is a portrait of the actor Nakamura Tamasuke, made on the occasion of his death on the 25th day of the 7th month of Tempo 7 (a.d. 1838). As Ono also engraved prints by Ashihiro and Sadamasu; and Tenki published others by Sadamasa, Sadatsuga, Sadahiro, Shigeharu, Hokuyei, Kunihiro, Hirosada, Hasegawa Nobu- hiro and Umekuni, we are able to fix all these artists as working in Osaka under the influence of the same movement. Sadamasa was first a pupil of Kunisada, but he also describes himself as a pupil of Hishigawa Sadanobu. Both these men seem to have been specially attached to another famous actor, Nishimura Utayemon, who must have been a favourite in Osaka, although he derived one of his names from the great Nishimura Theatre of Yedo, It is worth noting that THE uSAKA GROUP. 67 Toyokuni I. also painted his portrait. Sadahiro (Gorakutei, Gochtoei, Shokwotei) collaborated with Kunihiro in at least one case on the same print. This brings the publisher Kinkwado Konishi and the artist Hokujiu into the same line. Similarly, the fact that Sadayoshi (Kwaishuntei) published with Wataki, and that Hokuyei and Sadanobu also did so, as well as with Honsei and Tenki5 enables us to associate all these personages. Yoshitsugu was a pupil of Sadayoshi. Another group of Osaka artists included Ashiyuki (Keg- wado, Kegyokudo), by whom we have a portrait of an actor made as a special gift toafriend, and dated 1824 — the earliest dated print of the school yet noted ; Ashimaro, Ashihiro, Ashikiyo and Ashikuni, the latter a son of Roshiu, and called in private life Asayama Seiyosai. Most of these worked for the publisher Shuwocho, but some of them also for Honsei. Ashiyuki's prints are best known and most fre quently found. There are no essential differences in style between them and the other Osaka men. The only one of Shunyei's pupils who can be identified with cer tainty among the Osaka artists is Kin'taro Shunyo ; but we are pro bably right in classing with him Shunshi (Gakoten) and Shunshi (Seiyosai), the latter of whom may be the same as Ashikuni. The prefix " Shun " was largely used for the secondary names of the pupils of Hokusai who lived at Osaka ; who, in spite of their master's repudiation of Shunsho, may possibly have found it to their advantage to insist on the connection with so famous a theatrical artist. Among those whom we should thus place in the Hokusai group, other than his undoubted pupils referred to below, are Horai Shunsho (Kochoyen), who certainly lived for a time at Osaka, but was work ing at Yedo in 1847 ; still another Shunsho (III.), a pupil of Hoku- . shiu ; and a second Shuncho, probably a disciple of the same master, who collaborated with Shunko in a three-sheet theatrical scene pre served in the Library. Horai Shunsho, it should be said, is identical 7618. E 68 JAPANESE COLOUR PRINTS. with Kunimori ; doubtless, he attached himself to the style of Kunisada after his return to Yedo, where he was certainly working in the 7th month of Kokwa 2 (a.d. 1845). Of the pupils of Hokusai who published prints in the Osaka style, Hokushiu was one of the best and most prolific. His personal name was Shima Jiusen ; he used also the professional signatures, Sui- teisai, Kankanro, Ransai and a special name Tokio (meaning " dwel ler in the East," and not to be confused with Tokyo, " Eastern Capital "), taken during a period when he studied the Chinese style ; but his prints are generally signed Shunkosai, and more rarely Sekkwatsi, Hokushiu. He illustrated many books, of which the earliest recorded, a " History of the Forty-Seven Ronin," was pub lished in Yedo in 1808. Hokushiu, however, was a native of Osaka, and all his colour prints are associated therewith. They are boldly drawn in a somewhat tight, formal style, and are well coloured. The technical excellence of, for instance, a series of large portraits (the head and shoulders only) printed in an elaborate manner akin to that of the surimono, is undeniable and well worthy of close study. The name of one of his printers, Kwakuseido, is preserved. Two prints by him in the Library are dated, and so will help in the estimation of the period of his work ; one, Bunkwa 15 (a.d. 1818), the other, a por trait of the actor Ichikawa Kanijiuro, made when he died, at the age of fifty-one, on the 16th day of the 7th month of Bunsei 10 (a.d. 1827). Hokushiu used on several of his prints the seal Shunko, an abbreviation of Shunkosai, and he gave this to his pupil Shunko III., mentioned above. Of Shunko III., the only other information we can give is that in Bunkwa 7 (a.d. 1810) he made a portrait of the actor Ichikawa Yebizo, then performing at the Kawarasaki Theatre (J- 404U- Of Hokuyei, practically nothing is known but what appears on his prints. They are very common, and extremely similar in style to those of the last-named, with which they must have been contem porary. He was employed by each of the great Osaka publkhers, THE OSAKA GROUP. 69 Kinkwado Konishi, Honsei, Wataki, and Tenki ; the engravers Kumadzo and Horikuma reproduced his designs, and in one case, at all events, Suritoyo printed them. One set of prints by this artist in the Library, is worth a note, as illustrating the independence of the Osaka designers, at times, of their publishers. It is a set of six portraits of actors, in the characters of the Six Famous Poets, and was published in separate sheets by Honsei, Tenki and Wataki, though there is no perceptible difference in their style of production. On Hokuyei's prints are found the additional signatures, Shunkosai, Shumbaisai, Shumbaitei and Sekkwaro. Shunshosai Hokuju, in private life, Isai Shotei, was illustrating books in 1810. He made one print of the Forum at Rome (Hayashi Catalogue, 1218), otherwise his work is on the same lines as that of the preceeding. The engraver Kumadzo and the publisher Kink wado Konishi were associated with him. Shunshosai Hokucho, Hokumyo (Shunkosai, Sekkotei), Hokusei (Hokkai, Shunshisai) and Hokutsiu also belong to the same period. Hoku-i, by whom was made the interesting print described on page 126, is later. Ryutei Shigeharu was a pupil of Shigenobu or Hokusai — possibly of both. He was a native of Osaka, and also used the signatures Gyokuryutei and Ryusai, Other Osaka artists are : Shibakuni (Saikwotei) by whom we have a print dated Bunsei 4 (a.d. 1821); Yoshikuni (Jukodo, Toyokawa); Kitagawa Toyohide (Ichiryusai) whom one would be inclined to class as a pupil of Gosotei Toyokuni ; Nagakuni, who made a sort of coarse imitation of the style of Sharaku, and signed, " formerly Shuyei, pupil of Nagashige " ; Hirosada, a theatrical painter with a some what distinctive style; Toyogawa Umekuni (Jukyodo) ; Toyogawa Hidekuni, and Hasegawa Nobuhiro. All these can with certainty be referred to the Osaka school, not only because their prints were published in that town, but by reason of identity of style with that of the better known men. We have left till last a notice of an interesting personality asso- 70 JAPANESE COLOUR PRINTS. ciated more with Osaka than with Yedo, though as a painter rather than as a colour print designer. This is one of the earliest pupils of Hokusai, Kameya Saburo, to. whom in 1816 the master gave his name of Taito II. Later on he, as did many others of his school, established himself at 0"saka, and actually tried to pass himself off as Hokusai. This man had kept an inn in the Shin Yoshiwara ; he is also said to have been a ronin named Endo Hanyemon (a dis charged retainer of the Daimyo Ogasawara), and to have lived in the Kojimachi quarter of Yedo ; the first story rests on the evidence of a letter written by Hokusai. Drawings are still to be seen at Osaka with his signature, but the fraud was soon discovered and he received the nickname of Inu Hokusai (Hokusai's dog). He also received the name of "the Osaka Hokusai." He worked at Yedo from 1830 to 1843 ; and in Osaka certainly during the period Kayei (1848- x853), and is identical with Hokusen. His painting was a very able imitation of that of his master. We may say here that anothe, artist, Hashimoto Shobei, of the Asakusa district, signed drawings " Katsushika Hokusai" (one dated 1855 is preserved at the Isayama Temple) ; but Hokusai's great grandson states that the master never gave that name to anyone. VIII. THE PUPILS OF KUNISADA AND KUNIYOSHI. The second quarter of the nineteenth century saw an enormous increase in the production of colour prints. The process had, during the preceding fifty years, reached its utmost limits of technique ; and the widespread popularity of the artists already dealt with had resulted in the natural effect of a corresponding increase in the number of arti sans who turned to this method of gaining a living. For the present, whatever deterioration was to be seen in the inventive power and artistic skill of the nishikiye craftsmen generally, there was at least none in the arts of the engraver and printer. And so we find that a large number of prints of this period are beautiful in these respects, full of good pattern, still pleasant in colour, and, in the highest sense, deco rative. Most of the men who made them were pupils of one or other of the greater masters, and some are of considerable interest as personalities. Of them, Keisai Yeisen, one of the most prolific of the makers of colour prints, is also one of the best known from a biographical point of view. And such insight as we thereby gain into his character is valuable inasmuch as it furnishes a type — the prevalence of which can be verified in other cases from many sugges tive indications— of the social habits of the class of artists with whom we are dealing. By some remote connection he claimed kinship with the ancient and honourable Fujiwara clan. His father, Ikeda Ypshikiyo, was a painter of the Kano school. His own names were Yoshinobu (Gishin), Zenjiro and Risuke ; and he was also called Ippitsuan and Mumei-6. He was born at Hoshiga-oka in Yedo, and at first was well-to-do. Even yet he has a reputation for that characteristic virtue of the Japanese and Chinese— filial piety ; and it is recorded that after the death of his parents he maintained three 72 JAPANESE COLOUR PRINTS. sisters. His earliest artistic training was received in the studio of Kano Hakukeisai, from whom he derived the name he nearly always associated with his own ; and he also acquired some reputation as an author. He then lived in the house of Kikugawa Yeiji, a pupil of Yeishi, with whom he is said, somewhat unaccountably, to have studied the Tosa style. No traces of this can, however, 'be observed in his work, and his next master, Shinoda Kinji (afterwards called Namiki Gohei), a composer and illustrator of humorous plays, was responsible for his instruction in the Ukiyo-ye manner, to which all his work is referable. After leaving Yeiji he lived for several years at Omi-no-kuni, then returned to Yedo, Sojiurocho. He began life on his own ac count by painting toys, kites, battledores, flags, and the like ; but after his first marriage he began to make pictures of women and to illustrate books. The remainder of his career makes a curious record. At the outset he achieved great popularity for his landscapes, which are more admired by the Japanese than they have ever been in this country. He accepted an order from a publisher to supply a series of views of Yedo, Kyoto and Osaka ; and actually executed part of the work. But before its completion — he had received the whole payment therefor in advance— he calmly abandoned the project, and betook himself again to his old occupation of painting kites. His reason was the quaintly philosophic one that he objected to becoming famous. Nevertheless he had spent the money in a wild bout of dissipation ; and the unfortunate publisher finally found him in a house of ill-repute, severely and even dangerously intoxicated. After this escapade he left Yedo and went to Shiba Kawasage; where he was entertained by Ikariya Rokubei, a fish merchant, who was a great lover of colour prints, and befriended the artist from motives of pure generosity. Here, again, the temperament of the man broke out of all reasonable bounds. He borrowed money from his patron, entered on another debauch, and was discovered at the end of it to have parted even with every item of his garments. Once more he THE PUPILS OF KUNISADA & KUNIYOSHI. 73 found generous patrons at Kisarazu, but with the same deplorable results. He then returned to Yedo, and kept open house to the worst of company, until his landlord, fearing for his own credit, turned him summarily out of doors. Then at last he reformed. His first wife had died, and all we know about his family affairs so far, is that, having no children, he had followed the Japanese custom and adopted a daughter. He now married again, and with only oc casional short outbursts, devoted himself to hard and steady work, so that he soon amassed a competency. Again we find an expression of his innate humour and the odd, practical turn he gave to it ; for, saying that Fortune, if tempted too long, might go as easily as it had come ; and that it were better for him to discharge his patrons than that, by reason of old age or incapacity, they should discharge him, he definitely ceased working, left his house, moving to Negishi, and retired to private life. This happened at about the end of the Tempo 'period (a.d. 1830-1843). He afterwards moved to Nipon- bashi Higashi Sakamoto-cho Nichome, and died in the first year of Kayei (a.d. 1848), on the 26th day of the 8th month at the age of fifty-nine. His piety had never failed him. The Japanese story teller relates that, under no circumstances, did he borrow from or go into debt to his relations or personal friends ; these favours were reserved for dealers and patrons ; whom, with a habit of thoughtnot altogether without parallel in European art, he seems to have looked upon as fair game. Yeisen's prints are very numerous, and his subjects almost en tirely females of various classes. His early work is much in the style of Utamaro's later productions, and has a good deal of merit — some of the large portrait busts of women being the best. After wards he seems to have followed Kunisada in this class of work, and, like him, "made a number of those fine prints in blue and red which have already been mentioned. Yeisen also came considerably under the influence of Hokusai. He was a good painter of landscapes (see Chapter IX.), and illustrated a number of books in which he especi- 74 JAPANESE COLOUR PRINTS. ally adopted the methods of the last-named painter. Of these Yehon Nishiki-no Fukuro, Designs for Artists (Osaka, 1828) ; Keisai Sogwa, Sketches of Flowers, Fishes, Views, etc. (1839); and Keisai Ukiyo Gwafu, Pictures in the Popular Style of Scenes of the Seasons, Birds, Plants, etc., are the best known. A pupil of Yeisen's, Teisai Sencho, called also Kichizo and Soget- suyen worked in a style very like that of his master's later prints of women. He lived at Yedo, Reigan-jima. His dates of birth and death are not known, but his output must have taken place between the years 1830 and 1850. Similar in style and date is the work of another artist, Kwasentei Tominobu, of whom we have no information, but who evidently belongs to this group. Somewhat earlier than Yeisen, but on the whole closely akin to him in method, was Shunsen, a pupil in the first place of an .artist of the Chinese School, Tsumi Torin, from whom he derived his earliest artist name of Shunrin. Later he worked under Shunyei, and then used the signature Kashosai Shunsen, his own name being Saijiro. He lived at Yedo, first at Kojimachi Kaizaka, and later, during the period Bunkwa (a.d. 1804-1817) in the Shiba quarter of the same city, at Nakamonzen Machi. During this time his principal en graver was Yamadeiya Sanchiro ; and among other work he gained especial credit by his illustrations to a romance, Gengoro Bunna, by Tosai-an Namboku. After some time he moved to Shimmeimachi, also in Shiba, gave up the making of colour prints, and devoted him self to the painting of porcelain. His wife was a clever writer under the name of Gekkotei Shoja. The date of his death is unknown. Katsugawa Shunsen signed his earliest productions Shunko, but is by no means to be confused with Shunsho's pupil of that name. These prints are very graceful, more in the style of Kiyomine than of anyone else. Afterwards he has a good deal in common with Yeisen. His landscapes are notable, and are referred to elsewhere. Both Yeisen and Shunsen produced some good two-sheet prints THE PUPILS OF KUNISADA & KUNIYOSHI. 75 arranged in hachirakaki form, which were actually mounted and used as kakemono by the common people. The Library possesses a number of these, which form exceedingly effective decoration. Kunisada's principal pupil was Takeno-uchi (Sokin or Munehisa), also called Utagawa, KochorS and Baichoro. At first he signed himself Baido Kunimasa III., but in Kayei 5 (a.d. 1852) he married his master's daughter and then assumed his. name. He died in Meiji 13 (a.d. 1880) on the 20th day of the 7th month, at the age of fifty-eight, and was buried at the Komyo Temple of Kameido- mura. His work is better than that of some of his contemporaries, but does not show to advantage by reason of the deterioration of printing in his day. He sometimes signs " Kunimasa, pupil of Kwachoro." Most of Kunisada's pupils seem to have settled at Osaka, and are noticed-in the chapter dealing with that school. They can generally be identified by the prefix " Sada " which is the token of their train ing. Among those who remained at Yedo, Sadahide may be men tioned. His own name was Hashimoto Kanejiro, and he also signed Gountei, Gokuransei, Gokurantei, Gokuran and Gofutei. Sadahide made some very fair landscapes with battle scenes, and his work generally is good of its class. He lived first at Kameido, near the Tenjin Temple, and then at Fukagawa Atakamachi, Yedo; and illustrated a number of books — particularly a child's version of the Hakkenden, by Bakin, in collaboration- with Kunisada, Kuni- tsuna, Kuniteru, Kunimasa (III.), Kunitoshi and Kunitaki — which was published in 1849. Kunihisa was also a pupil of Kunisada, and married the third daughter of his master. He lived at Yanagashima, and used the secondary signatures Ichiryusai, Ipposai, Ichiunsai. He collabo rated with Kunisada in the making of broadsheets, and the Library possesses one specimen, in which the latter drew the figures and the former the scenery, which was done in Kunisada's seventy-ninth year (a.d. 1864, the year of his death). Kunihisa must not be con- 6 JAPANESE COLOUR PRINTS. founded with Kunihisa-jo-Utagawa, a female pupil of Gosotei Toyo kuni, and a rare example of the adoption by a woman of this craft. A specimen of her work is also in the Library. Sada-uta, a female pupil of Kunisada, is not represented. Kuniyoshi also left a number of disciples, who continued to work in Yedo. They bear the final syllable of their' master's name as a mark of distinction. Yoshitora was one of these, a native of Yedo, in which city he dwelt at Nakabashi Matsukawa-cho. He made a good many prints of military scenes in the style of his master, working until thirteen years after the latter's death under his own name, coupled with the signatures Ichimosai or Kinchoro. His own name was Tatsugoro. At the end of this time, however, he for some reason discarded his old connection, and henceforth signed his work Mosai. Yoshitoshi (Yonejiro Yoshioka), who also signed Gioku-6-ro, Dso, Ikkwaisai, and Kwaisai, was an adopted son of Tsukioka Sessai. He was an artist of considerable power and imagination, and forms a connecting link between the old makers of colour prints and those now working in Japan, among the latter of whom he held quite the foremost rank. He died on the 9th day of the 6th month of Meiji 25 (a.d. 1892), and was buried at the Senfuku Temple at Higashi Okubomura in Yedo. His later style has the merit of independence of the old stereotyped formulae, into which the designers of colour prints had fallen ; though it received scant justice at the hands of a decadent school of printers who used German aniline colours. Yoshifuji (Nishimura Fujitaro) was a designer of military scenes and battle pieces. He also made prints for doll's dresses, and so gained the nickname Te-asobi (toys). His other signatures were Ichitosai and Ipposai. Yoshikage lived at Yokohama, and painted prints and objects specially for export. Yoshitsuya (Mankichi, Ichiyeisai) was the son of a basket-seller, and lived in Honchonichome, Yedo. He made book illustrations as THE PUPILS OF KUNISADA & KUNIYOSHI. 77 well as prints, and about the period Kayei (a.d. 1848-1853) is said to have been a competitor of Kuniteru in the making of Ichimaidzuri (single page of print). Other pupils of Kuniyoshi were Yoshikuni (Jukodo, Shumkodo, Toyokawa); Yoshikazu (Ichijusai, Ichikawa) who lived at Otowa in Yedo ; Yoshichika (Chokaro, Ikkeisai) ; Yoshiharu (Ichibaisai, Chokaro) ; Yoshimori (Ikkwosai) ; Yoshimune (Isshosai, Shosai) ; Yoshitsuna (Ittosai) ; Yoshitaki (Ichiyotai) ; Yoshitsuru (Isseisai) ; and several of even lesser importance. The names given above in brackets are actually found on prints by them in the Library col lection. Yoshu Chikanobu, a pupil of Kunichika, was alive and still at work in 1902. Some few of his early prints are in the Library. In those of the present time he has to some extent adopted the manner of Utamaro. Chikamaru and Chikashige are probably pupils also of Kunichika. Chikamaro is a very different personality, for he is identical with Kyosai, the last and one of the most interesting of those artists of the Ukiyoye, who were of the first rank. Shojo (or Shofu) Kyosai was born in 1831 at Koga in the province of Shimotsuke. As a boy he worked for a short time under Kuni yoshi, but received his chief artistic training at the hands of Kano Dohaku ; soon, however, reverting from the traditions of the Kano School to the wider and less restricted manner of the Ukiyoye. In his early days Kyosai used the signature Chikamaro; and, as remarked above, his productions of this period are formal and with little sug gestion of the style he afterwards used with so great effect. Kyosai attained celebrity at an early age ; and, during the period of ferment which culminated in the revolution of 1867-68, he was three times imprisoned by the authorities of the Shogunate for the political offence of caricaturing them. After the assumption of power by the present emperor, a great congress of painters and men of letters was held, at which Kyosai was present. He, however, found enough 78 JAPANESE COLOUR PRINTS. to laugh at in the new state of things, and his caricature, inspired by this event, brought him again into the hands of the police. He died in 1889, at the end of a wild life of turmoil and dissipation, always in trouble, but always happy. M. Guimet and M. Regamey visited Kyosai before 1880, and have given us a pleasant account of the artist as well as an excellent por trait of him.* And in his own book, Kyosai Gwaden, he has himself left his autobiography, and illustrated it with sketches of amazing humour and force, the most noteworthy of which, from our point of view, are those showing him at work. This book was published at Tokyo in 1887 ; it has four volumes, two of which are devoted to a history of Japanese painting, and two to the life of the artist, all illustrated by himself under the name Kawanabe Toyukii. The text is by Uriu Masakaza. Kyosai has generally been said to have been a pupil of Hokusai, but so far as actual teaching, or even avowed study goes, this state ment is without foundation. That he is to be classed with Hokusai above all the other artists of his school is undeniable. His artistic qualities closely resemble those of that master, his independence of tradition, his wonderful facility, his realism, his humour, and in no small degree the technique that he adopted in his paintings at times. He came too late to make many good prints, but some few are to be found which show refreshing originality. The Library possesses several which illustrate his varied methods, that reproduced being perhaps the most delightful, as one of Shoki the Demon-queller is the strongest — and very reminiscent of his early master Kuniyoshi. Kyosai also supplied a good landscape to a figure by Kunisada II. (J. 4749), a two-sheet hanging picture. But in this case the student will find more satisfaction in accepting him as a painter, and studying the fine original drawings of fairy tales and illustrated proverbs, which the Library is so fortunate as to possess. Kyosai illustrated several books besides that named above, the best perhaps being his * Promenades Japonaises, 1880. THE PUPILS OF KUNISADA <§> KUNIYOSHI. 79 Yehon taka-kagami, Illustrations of Hawks, 1870 ; Kyosai Gwafu, 1880 ; Kyosai Mangwa, 1881 ; and Kyosai Suigwa, 1882. The art of colour printing has by no means died in Japan. During the early years of the present emperor it touched its lowest point, when the designs were the merest travesties of the old work, though still keeping some remote semblance of its traditions, and the colour was crude, cheap, and muddy. Still the engraver never quite lost his cunning, and the last score or so of years has seen a substantial and not unmeritorious revival. The characteristics of the modern colour prints are such as clearly distinguish them from the older work. In subject, there is a wider range in general choice, though the two mainstays of the elder artists, the drama and the Yoshiwara, no longer furnish any ap preciable number of designs for this purpose. We have, indeed, pictures of women, but they are the pleasant women of everyday life. The heroes of history are still favoured ; and the fairy-tales and legends supply a large proportion of ideas to the artists. Of pure landscape there is little ; but it enters largely into compositions all the same, and the treatment of flowers, trees, and such like natural features is more common and more realistic than before. The old conventions of drawing the figure have also yielded to realism, under the direct influence of European methods of instruction, now more or less practised in the schools and studios of Japan. The engraving remains notable, though not so bold and vigorous as of old. The block is cut with less depth and more littleness, though not with less precision so far as the reproduction of the artist's drawing is con cerned. The colours show an improvement on the last bad stage, but do not approach those of the good period. They are all European in character if not in actual origin, and are worked with a transparency quite foreign to the old methods. Still, the result, considered by itself, is often far from despicable, and sometimes approaches real excellence, though always with a ten dency to slight — perhaps dainty prettiness, rather than the old 8a JAPANESE COLOUR PRINTS. virile force and beauty. The process of decline and revival can well be seen in the work -of Yoshitoshi, mentioned above; whose long life embraced the whole period from the time when the ancient traditions were still comparatively closely followed, until that which saw the new school firmly established. In his case freedom from the fetters of the former proved a distinct gain in the matter of design; for his later work shows more individuality, more resource, and more imagination than any of his earlier prints on the stereotyped lines. One must regret that he could not have developed in these respects while some of the old printers were available ; though, as he, in com mon with his fellows, had to make what would sell, that was hardly possible under the old conditions to anyone with much less indepen dence of character than Hokusai possessed. Of the actual men of the day one need do little more at present than give their names. Toshikata is a pupil of Yoshitoshi, and himself has a pupil of promise, Kyokata. His work is delicate, and when not disfigured with European ideas, it is quite good. Miya gawa Shuntei (Itsujin) may be a descendant of the old Miyagawa family, and sometimes signs also gio-jin (man of leisure) ; a hint, perhaps, that he wishes to detach himself somewhat from the pro fessional colour print maker. Shuntei is one of the most successful of the modern men in his treatment of landscape, and he secures as good a technical rendering of his designs as do any of his fellows. Gosai Toshihide, also a pupil of Yoshitoshi, and a follower in subject of Kuniyoshi — and Tomioka Yeisen, are of the same school as those before named ; but Ogata Gekko is an adherent of the Shijo school, which includes the best of the recent naturalistic painting of Japan. Gekko is an artist who is not without official honour in Japan among painters. He has been awarded medals, and has himself served on juries of recent exhibitions of Japanese paintings — a fact worthy of note, for it illustrates a considerable change of idea as to the social place of the colour print des:gner. IX. LANDSCAPE. Japanese colour prints devoted to landscape form a class apait in the art of the world. There is nothing else like them ; neither in the highly idealistic and often lovely abstractions of the aristocratic painters of Japan, nor in the more imitative and, it must be said, more meaningless transcripts from nature, of European artists. The colour print, as executed by the best men of the Japanese popular school, occupies an intermediate place ; perhaps thus furnishing a reason why we Westerns so easily appreciate it. Its imagery and sentiment are elementary in the eyes of the native critic of Japanese high art. Its attempts at realism are in his eyes mere evidences of vulgarity. On the other hand these very qualities endear it to us. We can understand the first, without the long training in symbolism which is the essential of refinement to an educated man of the extreme East. And the other characteristic forms, in our eyes, a leading recommendation. In short, the landscapes of artists such as the Hiroshige approach more nearly to our own standards, and are thus more easily acceptable to us than anything else in the pictorial arts of China and Japan; while they have all the fascination of a strange technique, a bold and undaunted convention, and a superb excellence of composition not too remote in principle from our own. , The Japanese treatment of landscape derives its origin from that of the classical Chinese painters. In the colour prints of the second half of the eighteenth century it first appears as an accessory only, and follows more or less closely the traditions of the aristocratic Kano school. Such are the methods employed by Koriusai, who is the first maker of nishikiye to use natural forms with distinction, and of Shunsho, especially in some of his rare surimono. Used simply as 7618. F 83 JAPxANESE COLOUR PRINTS. settings for figure subjects, the treatment of landscape by Kiyonaga, Kiyomine, and especially Shunsho, are worthy of study, as steps in the development which was proceeding. Toyokuni I., in some of his early work, followed the same lines ; while that of Toyohiro and of Hokusai approaches more closely to the Chinese school. The student will find the work of the former worth close attention, inas much as to him is possibly due the culmination of this branch of the craft in the person of his pupil, the first Hiroshige. Toyohiro was a master of composition. In colour he is sometimes weak, and- his figures are small and placed with too casual a judgment. Moreover, he is too frankly dependent for his atmospheric perspective on those curi ous bars, generallyof rose-pink, which run somewhat arbitrarily across many of the landscapes of the popular school ; and, being derived in the first instance from a well-known effect of morning and evening mist, soon became a mere trick to get the different distances of a view into proper relationship with each other. In the Six Views of the Tamagawa, a fine set of half-landscape, half-figure subjects in the Library, his colour is good and unusual, the use of purple andgreen being quite remarkable for such work as this. The large figures in this set hardly belong to the landscape, but on several of the plates will be seen smaller subordinate passages which are in Toyohiro's ordinary style. But it is reasonable to suppose that it was he who gave his pupil the first lead in the direction of landscape, which the latter ultimately followed to ends so magnificent. Shunzan made a curious set of the Views of Lake Biwa (Omi Hakkei), cleverly-ar ranged compositions, quite simple and small, coloured chiefly with pink and green, and each printed in a circle on a background of solid black, on which is a poem in white cursive characters. Of about the same period are an early set of small " Views of Yedo," by Hokusai, of which the Library possesses three (the full set consists of eight) J. 6007, &c. These are all to be con sidered together, though the drawing (especially of the foliage) ot the latter is far the b^t. LANDSCAPE. 83 Utamaro devoted his attention almost entirely to figure subjects, but he produced one marvellous set of designs of plants and insects, and a few remarkable landscapes. Of these some are without dis tinction ; as for example his " Yodo Castle on the Yodo River " (J. 4849), but on the other hand the picture of moonlight from Kyogetsubo (1789), executed entirely in monochrome, is full of power; and shows that in the practice of the tradi tions of the classical school this artist was by no means beneath contempt. Hokusai has been more fully referred to in another chapter (chap. VI.). But in this place it may be convenient to offer some criticism of this class of his work as it appears to the writer. His greatest series, the " Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji,'' consists, without exception, of masterpieces — but they are master pieces of conception — stupendous effects of composition executed with unfailing boldness and directness of line'. In this series Hok usai is working toward Japanese ideals, but in his own characteristic style. His colour is almost entirely subordinate, the symbolism is always in evidence, and the sweep of line, that highest criterion of excellence in Japanese eyes, is, to us at all events, superb. No one can fail to appreciate the intense individuality of this work, which perhaps more than any of his other efforts has gained for him his re putation in Europe. The " Waterfalls " and the " Famous Bridges " rarely reach this level. In certain other prints, notably " Illustra* tions for Children of the Hundred Poems," (J. 5246), and the " Views of the Loo-Choo Islands," his colour has much more to be reckoned with. Originality again is strong in these designs, but as pure line work they are less striking. This deficiency is to some extent redeemed by the bold contrasts of colour — light blue and bright red, for instance, in one, and deep blue and brilliant orange in the other. The figures, too, are always of importance> and generally suggestive of a kindly humour. But in landscape as in other branches of art, Hokusai stands apart ; a strong man filled with the very soul of art, and happily gifted with means 7618. F 2 84 JAPANESE COLOUR PRINTS. of expressing the emotions aroused in him by its innumerable phases. But it was the first Hiroshige who laid down the lines on which those makers of colour prints, who devoted their attention to land scape, were henceforth to proceed. And although there are still certain doubtful points in the meagre accounts of his life and work, it is at last possible to clear away a few of the confusions, and to present at least a suggestive outline of the man's career. For instance, the story that Hiroshige I. was a fireman who began to paint late in life must go altogether, for it rests on no more secure foundation than the better-authenticated tradition that he once lived in the fireman's quarter of Yedo. Another tale, to which I myself gave currency on the strength of a Japanese report, that when young he gained his living by making roadside pictures with sand of different colours, relates if to anything to a period of poverty in his early life, before his new methods had attracted popular at tention and gained him regular work. For the artist displayed his powers in his very childhood, and the first account we have of him is a record that a certain Loo-Choo man who visited Japan when Hiroshige was only ten years old, noted as one of the wonderful sights he saw, a sketch of a procession that the boy had made with all the skill and ability of a full-grown draughtsman. When Hiroshige was fifteen years of age he applied to be admitted to the studio of Toyokuni I., but that great artist had then no room for another pupil, and was obliged to refuse him. What the conse quences would have been had he been able to comply with this request, it is impossible to imagine ; but the event proved that in one direction at all events the younger man was the stronger personality. By the friendly offices of a bookseller, however, Hiroshige was received into the artistic family of Toyohiro, who with Toyokuni had been a fellow pupil of Utagawa Toyokuni. After the death of Toyohiro (in 1828) he began business on his own account, adopting and assisting his master's grandson Toyokuma ; having meanwhile chosen a name LANDSCAPE. 85 which should signify to all the source of his training, by its con struction out of that of Toyohiro. His own name was Ando Toki- taro. In his earliest productions he also used the school appellation, Utagawa. At this time he found that there was no market for the prints in the new style which he had already begun to develop, the public refusing to look at anything but portraits of actors and dramatic scenes in the manner of Toyokuni ; so he migrated from Yedo to Kyoto, where he published a set of views of the old Imperial city and its neighbourhood. However, he soon returned to Yedo, and under more favourable auspices began to issue prints of landscape which soon became so popular that even the son of the great Toyo kuni himself, Gosotei Toyokuni, found it worth while to imitate him in a set of views, of which one is reproduced in the present volume. In Yedo, he lived for most of his life at Ogacho, but towards the end of it at Tokiwacho and then at Nakabashi Kano Shim-michi. He died in the year Ansei 5 (a.d. 1858), on the 6th day of the 9th month, at the age of sixty-two, and was buried at Asakusa, in the Shinteramachi Togaku Temple, receiving after death, in accordance with Japanese custom, the name Kenkoin Ryusai Tokuokoji. . He seems to have been of a kindly nature, with a great love of humour and some literary culture. He was always fond of those little poems embodying with some pretty fancy, a play upon words of the nature of a pun, which are so popular among the Japanese ; and, among other work of the kind, he illustrated one well-known collec tion relating to his favourite Tokaido, the Tokaido Utashige. In deed, one of his own poems of this sort is preserved, the last he wrote when the hand of death already lay upon him. It may be trans lated, " I have left my brush in Yedo, for now I go to the West, to a country of different landscapes." Before Hiroshige died, he had, in addition to Toyokuma, adopted another son, at first called Hironobu, but to whom he afterwards 86 JAPANESE COLOUR PRINTS. gave the name of Hiroshige II. This artist worked with him and closely imitated his style ; and it is to him that many of the prints hitherto associated with his master should be ascribed, particularly those upright single-sheet panels in which some conspicuous object appears in the foreground. He also used the signature " Ichiryusai Hiroshige," the first of which names had been sometimes used by Hiroshige I., but had been for some time discarded by him. Some years after the death of his master he fell into some unnamed dis grace. He was compelled to leave Yedo and abandon his name, settling at Yokohama under that of Hirochika II. But I have never seen any prints thus signed. Another pupil and adopted son of Hiroshige I., was Ando Tokubei, whose first artist name was Shigemasa (of course, not to be confused with the earlier and far superior man of that name). He worked for a time as Hiroshige III., but on the disgrace of the second of the name, he added to the confusion which confronts us in dealing with this group, by himself adopting the title Hiroshige II. He lived to a great age, and only died in Meiji 29 (a.d. 1896). The distribution of the great mass of prints bearing the name Hiroshige among these three artists is by no means an easy task ; for it is certain that before the death of the first of them, they collaborated to a considerable extent, and a good many landscapes must have been thus produced, the designs for which were based on sketches by the master, and worked out by his pupils under his supervision. Still there is little difficulty in allotting to Hiroshige I. the landscapes which were executed solely by him. His treatment of the figure is perhaps the safest guide in this operation. He drew it with more care than did either of his pupils, with more humanity and realism, often with a distinct touch of humour, and with more than a sug gestion of the style of Hokusai. Hiroshige II. as a rule made his figures smaller and more perfunctorily, though in the fine series of prints made for fans, printed in blue, with only the title- in red (J. 6217-21), he almost reached his master's highest level in this LANDSCAPE. 87 respect. These are undoubtedly his best work, ana it was only after a most careful examination of them by a great expert of Japanese painting (Mr. R. Kohitsu) that it was decided that they must be attributed to him. The signature is also a fairly safe indication in one direction ; for while Hiroshige II. may sometimes have copied that of his master, the latter never wrote his name in the manner used by the pupil. The work of Hiroshige I. is generally in single sheets, arranged horizontally. But he made several fine compositions of larger form, which are very uncommon, but certainly represent him at his best. Among these may be specified a magnificent view, in shape of a kakemono, of Saruhachi, in the mountains of Kiso, a hanging bridge joining two high cliffs above a torrent, and with a great distance seen beneath it under the full moon. Another of similar form is " Kisoji in Snow," a scene in the same district. There are also, by him, ex amples of three-sheet compositions, arranged both vertically and horizontally, the Library possessing one of the latter, the favourite subject of " Travellers crossing the river Di," on the Tokaido road. It is the latter subject which supplied Hiroshige with the motive of his most famous publication, the Goju-san Tsugi, or " Fifty-three halting-places on the Tokaido," the old route of travellers from Yedo to Kyoto. Nothing in Japan except Mount Fuji has been more often painted than this ancient way between the two capitals of the country, and no artist has done its magnificent scenery better justice than Hiroshige I. The full series contains fifty-five plates, views of the two cities being added to those of the fifty- three stages of the road ; and there are also in existence seven early prints which were re-cut with variations. The greater part of the set appeared in 1834, ano- thus takes early rank in the order of Hiroshige's work, among which it is generally accounted the masterpiece. The blocks were printed until they were quite worn, late impressions having consequently blurred outlines and sometimes faults of register and 88 JAPANESE COLOUR PRINTS. colouring which easily distinguish them. They have also been re- cut for quite late editions. It would take too long to enlarge on the beauties of this set. They form an encyclopasdia of Japanese scenery; and the incidents of the road, drawn with unfailing humour, greatly add to the charm of the daring and effective rendering of the different landscapes. Perhaps the most famous of them is the " Rainy day at Shono," in which a group of travellers, protected by native rain-cloaks of grass, are toiling up a mountain pass. Copies of this in the best condition have been sold in Paris for 750 francs. Hiroshige I. made several other sets of views of the Tokaido, varying in size. Probably most of them are more or less represented in the Library. One of our illustrations is taken from another smaller series of views, which, if not so well known, is in the opinion of many critics even more beautiful, the Omi Hakkei, or Eight Views of Omi (Lake Biwa). These are more delicately coloured than most of the Tokaido set, and conceived with greater simplicity and refinement. They form a delightful rendering of the subject, seen from the eight points which Japanese tradition has from time immemorial decided to be the best. Their titles may, in this case, be given at length. They are (1) The Autumn Moon from Ishiyama, (2) Evening snow on Hirayama, (3) The Glow of Evening at Seta, (4) The Evening Bell at Midera, (5) Boats sailing home from Yabase, (6) Bright sky and breeze at Awazu, (7) Rain by night at Karasaki, (8) Wild Geese alighting at Katada. The illustration of these subjects, invariably the same, is not confined to pictorial art : they are foundon objects of lacquer, metalwork and pottery during several centuries. A set of twelve views in the neighbourhood of Yedo is worthy of special remark. The author has only seen it once (and that com plete), in the collection of the Hon.Walter Guinness. These are only lightly printed, and coloured mainly by hand here and there with lacquer colours, the result being a charming exercise somewhat in the manner of the early eighteenth century prints, as far as tech- LANDSCAPE. 89 nique goes. They were afterwards issued in the usual form, and were probably in the state described above among the artist's earliest efforts. Hiroshige I. made many sets of views of Yedo and the neighbour hood. A correspondent in Japan informs the author that he has collected examples from no less than thirty-five different series, but these doubtless include the work of pupils. Views of the six Tamagawa, eight of the Kanazawa, and ten of Kyoto may also be mentioned. Although neither is landscape, two series of broadsheets may be mentioned here, one the well-known set of twenty different kinds of fishes, made apparently in competition with those anonymous drawings of similar subjects that were turned out in such large numbers during the first half of the nineteenth century ; the other a number of compositions of flowers and birds in the narrow, up right form. Hiroshige I. is said, by one Japanese authority, never to have painted in the ordinary Ukiyoye manner. This, however, is inaccurate, as several prints of female figures, rather like those of Yeisen, are to be seen in the Library and are undoubtedly by him. As a curiosity, mention may also be made of three prints made as advertisements for a dealer in inlaid shell-work, which are to be seen in the same collection, and have never been described before. They consist of clever and intricate groupings of the different objects the dealer had for sale. Specimens can, moreover, be referred to there, of his humorous designs. Hiroshige's landscapes are less striking than those of Hokusai. While the latter compels our admiration by his original composition and superb and unexpected line, the former is more dependent on mass of colour and the effect of far-seen distance. No one renders a diminishing distance, with its almost infinite suggestions bettei than Hiroshige. His composition is rarely forced, and in spite of a selection of subject which is anything but conventional, his picture comes easily and convincingly to the eye. As a rule he lays little 90 JAPANESE COLOUR PRINTS. stress on the foreground. His point of view is almost always from above, and at a great height; so that there are no strong contrasts of focus ; and so great is his skill, that the use of large details in order to put his middle distance and background into their proper per spective was never necessary to him as it was to Hiroshige II. ; who sometimes gained this end by the ugly introduction into his picture of the legs of a horse, a great tree-trunk or something of the sort seen quite close to the observer. This trick is one of the characteristics of Hiroshige II. who, more over, rarely equals his master either in colour, the management of aerial perspective, or the drawing of the figures. He made the greater number of the upright prints of ordinary dimensions ; al though in some of the best known series he was simply expanding sketches or compositions by his master, such as are contained in two volumes of original drawings by the latter in the collection of Mr. Arthur Morrison. An instance of this is to be seen in the " Views of Noted Places in the Provinces of Japan," published in 1856 (J. 617), etc., which, although signed by the second man throughout, is full of traces of work by the first. In another case we have definite evidence, for the introduction to the " Hundred Views of Mount Fuji," issued in 1859, expressly states that though the series was not published until after the master's death, yet he himself made most of the designs, the work' being completed by his pupils. Hiro shige II. made, however, several oblong prints, closely following his master's manner, but always noticeably inferior thereto. One of them has an historical interest, for it is a memorial of the famous visit of Commodore Perry and his squadron of the United States Navy to Japan in 1853. It is a view of Uraga bay, and in the fore ground is one of the boats of the fleet flying the American flag, on which the stars are blue. Hiroshige II. made a considerable number of prints of women and some of actors. His early work in this style is unusually large in style, and has a good deal of vigour. It is always signed in a char- LANDSCAPE. 91 acter more closely resembling the formal Chinese than his ordinary signature. Later prints are like those of Yeisen and Shunsen, and without distinction. The date of his abandonment of his name and calling in Yedo is unknown ; but it must have been after 1863, in which year he made, to special order, a three-sheet print of portraits of the actors and musicians employed at the Bungobushi Theatre, Yedo, in commemoration of its foundation before the year 1609, and continued existence for a certain period of at least two hundred and fifty-five years. This print (J. 801) furnishes the best criterion for the separation of his Ukiyoye work from that of his master and fellow-pupil. Hiroshige II. and Hiroshige III. worked in conjunction with Kunisada, Kuniyoshi and other artists ; sometimes supplying the landscape to their figures, and sometimes making figure subjects for series, of which others made portions. It is probable that the latter did most of the subordinate work, for the landscape is quite inferior to that of HiroshigeII.,who may havejoined with (in these instances) Kunisada and Kuniyoshi, in such productions as the " Famous personages " each with one of the Hundred Poems (J. 802, etc.) and the " Illustrations of Female Characters," each with reference to one of the stations of the Tokaido (J. 785, etc.). To Hiroshige III. are to be attributed the " Thirty- three pictures of the Benevolence of the Goddess Kwan-non," in which both .Kunisada I. and Kuni sada II. assisted, as of course the caricatures and other prints of obviously quite late date. Hiroshige I. illustrated several books, among which are Yehon Tebikigusa, " Primary introduction to Pictures of Flowers and Fishes, for Children " (1848) ; Shoshoku Gwatsu, a set of designs, and two series of cursive sketches (1848-1850, 1851). Keisai Yeisen made a considerable number of admirable land scapes, working in a free and effective style. The best in the Library are, a picture of fishermen catching fish by means of trained cormor ants, around whose necks rings are fitted to prevent their swallowing 92 JAPANESE COLOUR PRINTS. the prey ; and a view of Ryogoku Bridge, which has something in common with drawings by some of our own artists. The first - named is notable for an ingenuous use of shows and reflections. The landscape backgrounds to a set of the Twelve Scenes from the. Drama Chiushingura by this artist, are broad and simple in style, and quife good. Yeisen also made a set of " Waterfalls," in imitation — or rather caricature — of those of Hokusai, and he completed a series of " Views of the Kisokaido " (Eastern Road), contributing twenty- two designs to the forty-eight made by Hiroshige I. After Hiroshige I. returned from KySto and began to gain popu larity for his landscapes, Gosotei Toyokuni attempted to imitate him with a considerable amount of success. The Library contains several of this series of prints, which are quite good in colour, though hardly up to the level of Hiroshige in composition. In them are crude attempts at the drawing of reflections. Shunsen is responsible for a series of landscapes, slight, but quite distinctive in colour, green and rose pink being the characteristics of the scheme used. In these, figures play a prominent part, although not so much as to dominate a clever suggestion of outdoor effect, got with the simplest of elements. An almost invariable convention used by Shunsen, is the delimiting of his sky a little below the top of the print, with a branched or broken bar of red ; in this case a mere trick, though a pretty one, to help the distance. The composition is always very simple, and generally follows parallel lines. Utagawa Kuninao drew a few landscapes of full size, rather coarsely printed, but having a certain force and some feeling for arrangement. The best are a set of four Shiki-no Meisho, illustra tive of the seasons, of which two are in the Library, as well as a third, " Gathering Shells at Low Tide," of the same character. Although it is not a landscape, strictly speaking, mention may be made of a three-sheet print representing a group of girls being carried bodily, or on litters, across the River Oi by coolies — a really excellent print, and the best possible example of Kuninao's powers. LANDSCAPE. 93 One would have expected from the pupils of Hokusai a consider able production of landscapes, and that of a high standard. But although many colour print makers tried their hands from time to time at this class of subject, none seem to have been able to perse vere in it beyond the publication of one or two series ; with, of course, the exceptions of Hiroshige I. and II. It is to be supposed that although these, with Hokusai, were able to direct the public taste in this direction, they did it by sheer force of their genius, and that there was never any real desertion on the part of the common people of their favourite subjects, the drama and the women of the tea-houses and Yoshiwara. Hokkei, among Hokusai's pupils, made some very interesting essays in landscape. His treatment of it in surimono is always good, and in Shokoku Meisho — a series of famous views in different provinces — he shows a considerable trace of his master's influence, especially in colour and the drawing of the figures. His composi tion is weak. This set is of unusual dimensions, 6f inches high only, by 14I inches wide. One of the subjects represented is an European ship of old and curious rig, saluting as she passes the hill Inasa, at the entrance to Nagasaki Harbour (J. 5237). Shotei Hokujii, a fellow pupil with the last, made some extra ordinary attempts to draw clouds and shadows. His view ol Ryogoku Bridge, Yedo (J. 5217), is a curious instance of this. The figures are tiny, and hardly diminish for a considerable distance from the front of the scene ; but each has its careful little shadow, and so have the bridge, the houses, and the, boats. Hokujii made an attempt to get the bridge into perspective, but failed badly ; his sky is a quaint attempt at realism. This print is less of a success than any ; it was experimental, and the artist was hopelessly out of his depth, amid methods unsuited to his art. In " Yenoshima," which he proudly labels Ukiye (perspective picture), the perspective is fairly accuiate ; and the result, as one would expect, insignificant beside those obtained by the frank ccnventions of Hokusai and 94 JAPANESE COLOUR PRINTS. Hiroshige, who both understood perspective enough to know when to disregard it. Hokujii was at his best in such a view as the " Saru - bashi " (Monkey Bridge) in Koshu Province, one of those wonderful old timber constructions stretching over a ravine, which so delighted Hokusai. This is treated in a broad, simple style, with no European affectations save the clouds — and these unreal enough to be not quite out of scale. Hokusui made a series of One Hundred Views of Kyoto, which are stiff at times, and generally of unequal merit. Here and there, how ever, he gets a good atmospheric effect, as in the rainstorm driving down on a procession crossing a bridge (J. 921). The Library has only five of the series. Hasegawa Sadanobu comes rather within the school of the Hiro shige, for his landscapes follow somewhat closely the methods of the second of that name. When they are well printed, which is by no means always the case, they are quite meritorious. The Library possesses his best set, the Omi Hakkei (Eight Views of Lake Biwa); which, though small, are quite pleasant and good in style and colour, and also a portion of a larger (but not full-sized) series, the Hundred Views of Osaka. The drawing of the figures in the last-named set is peculiarly reminiscent of Hiroshige II. , but some of the colours are crude. Gountei Sadahide, fellow pupil with Sadanobu, produced some interesting topographical prints, generally of large size, and with slight attempts at pictorial effect. One of the best of these is a three-sheet (at least) subject, " The Buddhist Temple HOngwanji, at Asakusa " (J. 2879). In this the great sweep of the curved roof is finely shown, and its dignity heightened by the comparative insig nificance of its surroundings and of the procession, of very small, but very ceremonious, human beings, who make so little a show beside the huge edifice. The bird's eye view of Yokohama (six-sheet, J. 2882) is interesting, if only for the obviously European visitors seen in the streets. Among his landscape-work on ordinary lines, LANDSCAPE. 95 Sadahide made a.set of " Views of the Tokaido," and one of " Views of the Western Provinces." Yoshiyuki, a pupil of Sadayoshi and an Osaka man, produced a series of a hundred views of that city, which should have a great deal of merit at their best, judging from the five which alone are found in the Library. Two of these, a flight of wild geese in the rain, and a cluster of sparrows fluttering round the finial of a temple, are really excellent, but the others are not so good. Kuniyoshi drew a series of " Views of Yedo " in the old style, but without much delicacy. His later work, showing signs of European influence, shows incidentally a much better treatment of landscape. Of the same generation, mention may be made of a pretty series of the " Eight Views of Lake Biwa " by Kuniyasu, small in size (9 x 6| inches). Many other artists tried their hands at landscape. The Tokaido Series, especially, became a mere formality, in the treatment of which there is nothing to choose between a whole group, of men, main'y pupils of Kuniyoshi. Ichijusai Yoshikazu is one of the best of these. His " Tokaido," with humorous scenes, would often be excellent but for the figures. He made also two sets of " Views of Yedo." Yoshi- tora deserves a note for his curious pictures of London and Paris, and the absolute disregard of truth which those inventive compositions display in the grouping of details. He made a large bird's-eye view of the Tokaido in nine sheets, and another set of the " Views " in the stereotyped lines. This last stage of decay in landscape saw all the beauty beaten out of them by mere formalism. The conventional signs are inserted by which the landscape is to be identified, and a procession introduced into the picture to help out the composition ; and, as a rule, that is all. Of this nature, beside that of the last named, are the Tokaido Series by Yoshitsuya, Yoshimune, Yencho, Kunitsuna, Kuniteru. and even Chikamaro, who under his better-known name of Kyosai did work so much more able and personal. The " Views of Osaka " by 96 JAPANESE COLOUR PRINTS. Yoshitaki, and of the Tokaido by Yoshitoshi, may, inconclusion.be mentioned as superior to the productions of the artists last referred to. The student of this class of prints will find it instructive to refer to another style of treating landscape, by the use of colour prints, which is exemplified in various Japanese books published during the early part of the eighteenth century. In these, the view taken is broadly impressionistic, and the colours are light and merely suggestive ; the work following the methods of Chinese and Japanese painters to a far greater extent than do any of the colour prints. An excellent specimen of this style, in the Library, is KyochU-no-yama by Hosai, published in Yedo in 1809 (05. B. 25) ; and others worthy of reference are Fuso Meisho Zuye, a compilation by Kwaiyen, illustrated by Seiyo, in 1836; and Ichiro Gwafu, by Yashima Ichiro, perhaps somewhat earlier in date. X. SURIMONO. The Japanese of the lower social orders have had for many years the pleasant custom of commemorating special events by sending to friends a certain kind of small print, wrought with special care, and generally inscribed with an appropriate poem. These are printed in colours by the same process as the ordinary colour prints, of which they are indeed but a refined development. They are almost invariably smaller in size, and in the making of them is found a more liberal use of metallic colours, gold, silver, and bronze. The paper is of a better average quality, and gaufffage, the heightening of portions of the design by extreme pressure, giving them an extra ordinary relief and sharpness, is resorted to very often; this device being employed to invest plain as well as coloured parts of the print with a pattern. The Japanese say that the highest reliefs were ob tained by rubbing with the point of the elbow. It is certain that some instrument harder and better defined than the baren must have been used, for in the. Japanese colour printing of old days the press was never dreamed of. Between the surimono (a word meaning simply " something printed ") and the broadsheets there is also found to be an essential and important difference of plan. In the former, the drawing rarely cove.s the whole ground; the accompanying text having a value too great to permit of that. Indeed, the print may bear but a small group of symbolical objects, or even a single spray of flowers. What is essential is that the symbolism shall be supreme and thoroughly suited to tha occasion; and to this end a most charming and almost endless variety of devices }ias been used, in itself a fine testimony to 7618, G 98 JAPANESE COLOUR PRINTS. the poetic imagination and play of fancy which seems innate in the meanest native of the Land of the Rising Sun. By far the greater number of surimono are found to have been issued literally as New Year's cards. The celebration of the New" Year is one of the most thorough and most delightful of Japanese festivities. At that time the " Ship of Good Fortune," with its crew of the Seven Gods of Good Luck and its Cargo of Sacred Treasures, is supposed to come into port, the Manzai dancers go about the : reets, special food is prepared, and special decorations of good omen are hung up, as well as special prayers offered by the devout ; and conjurations are made against all sorts of Oni' or evil demons. It would take far too long to mention even the chief of the designs printed on surimono for these days. The -Gods of Good Fortune, their Ship and Cargo are of course frequently utilised. The animals representing the year of the cycle furnish another fruitful source of suggestion — thus, Hokusai made a surimono commemorating a visit to the Temple of Kameido, Yedo, on the ist day of the year of The Hare (J. 5145)- Flowers, again, are great favourites, as are such toys as the shell-game, and battledore and shuttlecock. Or popular heroes like Kato Kiyomasa, Yoshitsune and Benkei, the Soga Brothers, or some of the Hundred Chinese Famous Men are quaintly depicteel in glowing colours, always with some subtle allusion to future happiness. But surimono were made for other purposes than the adornment of festivals. Many have been brought into being by specially suc cessful meetings of clubs of artisans or tradesmen, at which the competitive making of poems was the attraction. Others, again, notify the birth of a son, a marriage, the retirement of a man into a Buddhist temple, or one of the many changes of name in which a Japanese actor, artist, or poet indulges ; a famous instance of the after from our present point of view being that already mentioned (p. 42), issued when Kunisada changed his name to Toyokuni. Often, but not always, the surimono were designed by those who SURIMONO. 99 used them, which fact accounts for the many unknown signatures which a collector meets with. But the professional makers of co'our prints were certainly commissioned frequently to provide .drawings for other people, in addition to those they produced for their own purposes. The extent to which this was carried is sug gested by a surimono by Kuniyasu in the Tomkinson Collection, which is particularly described by the artist as " not made for sale " ; while others not seldom bear the seal of the publisher. However, the work of the amateur is more often to be met with in this branch of colour printing than in any other, a matter which need occasion no surprise when one recollects how closely the arts of writing and of drawing are allied in Japan. The curious account by Hoku-i of the history of engraving quoted on page 126, relates, it may be remarked, that " in the period of Genwa (a.d. 1616-1623) Katsushika Hokyushi, a comic poet who lived at Musashi, ordered Chikamatsu Ryvisai to engrave on cherry wood a pictu e of a pine branch, and this was the begin ning of surimono." Taking this statement for what it may be worth, the author can only say that he has met with none earlier than the fine set by Koriusai* in the National Art Library. The subjects of these are birds of various kinds, and they are executed with wonder ful accuracy and vigour ; but, with the exception of a use of relie f rare at so early a date, with no special variation in technique from that ordinarily used at the time. Katsugawa Shunsho made a few fine examples, very rarely met with. In the next generation we find specimens by Utamaro — the Library has two (J. 6140-I) very early in date, with different styles of formal flower arrangement for subject — Toyokuni I., by whom also two prints can now be re ferred to in the Collection, a portrait of the great actor Ichikawa Danjiuro (J. 5151), and Kane of Oni, a heroine of the thirteenth century, stopping a runaway horse (J. 5716) ; a number by Shun- ¦ * The statement on page 17, that in Harunobu's time, New Year's surimon with five and'six printings were first made, may refer to these. 7618, g 2 ioo JAPANESE COLOUR PRINTS. man, whose designs are mainly based on flowers; and a most dainty series, exceptionally small in size, by Hokusai, the first of the un interrupted succession produced by that great artist throughout his long life. The latter are printed generally in three colours only, green and rose pink being the prevailing hues; and the human figures are drawn in the style of the Ukiyo-ye, but with remarkable delicacy. They are catalogued in full by M. Edmond de Goncourt, who has also been able to date most of them by the symbols interwoven into the design, so they need not be referred to at greater length in this place. It only needs to note that the earliest, so far known, placed in the year 1793, is signed Mugura Shunro, and represents a young water- seller, seated on the yoke which serves to carry his pots, near a piece of furniture with pots and pans. It was issued as an invita tion ticket to a concert on the occasion of a change of name by the musician Tokiwazu Mozitayu. Later surimono by Hokusai are generally larger in size — about 8| x 7 J inches. They are, more than any of his other work, carried out on the same lines as those of his contemporaries, but with a distinction of drawing and perfection of composition attained by few others. The Library contains a fair number, representing each period ; and among the signatures on them are to be found the following, in addition to his best known name, Tamekazu, Ukiyo, Kako and Katsushika Taito. It is, moreover, to certain of Hokusai's pupils that we must look for the only prints of this kind that are worthy of being placed in the first rank with those of that master; and among them- Gakutei takes the first place. Yashima Gakutei was known by many names. His personal appellation was Onokichi, he painted as Taiko, wrote (for he was distinguished also in literature) under the signature Horikawa- no-Taro, and also used those of Shinkado and Harunobu II. , while as a humorous poet he called himself of Kiuzan. He was born at Kasumi-gaseki, Yedo, and lived at Nihonbashi Sakamotocho and Odenmacho. He visited Osaka, and stayed there for some time, SURIMONO. 101 learning painting from Tsutsumi Shiiyei. Afterwards he studied under Hokkei, and then with Hokusai himself. Professor Anderson states that he was a pupil of Katsugawa Shunsho, but I have been unable to trace any authority for this. The deles of his birth and death have not yet been ascertained, but his work belongs to the first forty years of the nineteenth century. His book illustration is worthy of mention, and the Library possesses a volume of landscapes, printed in colours, Sansui Gwajo, published at Nagoya (05. E. 27) Full-sized prints by him are very rare ; three were sold in the Hayashi Collection, the subjects of which are, "A Ship," " The Sun shining on the Sea," and " A Festival Night on Ryogoku Bridge," all signed Gogaku. But his surimono are his best work, and of them examples are often to be met with. These are executed with great delicacy, and always printed with extreme precision and superbly coloured. Often he employs with great effect a diapered background lightly tinted, as in the set of courtesans each with emblems of one of the Taoist Sages, of which the Library possesses seven (J. 5108-5114). Other subjects deserving note are those taken from legends of history or fairy-tales, as that of Tobosaku stealing one of the peaches of lon gevity from the deity Seiwobo (J. 5166), the Princess Kaga ascend ing to the Moon from the Taketori Monogalari (J. 5254), or the Chinese Emperor and Yukihi, the woman for whom he left his throne, play tjngogether on a flute : the latter (reproduced in colour in the Tomkinson Catalogue) probably the finest print Gakutei ever made, having in its sentiment and the beauty and finish of its de tails quite an extraordinary kinship with the English paintings of the P. e-Raphaelite School. Gakutei left one son, Gokei, whose reputation in Japan as a painter equals that of his father. Next to Gakutei in merit, in this class of work, one would be in clined toplace Hokkei, another pupil of Hokusai — indeed, in Japan- ^sTestimation, his best. The private name of this artist was Iwa- 102 JAPANESE COLOUR PRINTS. kubo Kinyemon, and others used by him were Hatsugoro, Sai-en, and Kyosai (not the later artist of that name, see p. 77). He was also called Uoya, i.e., fish-seller, for that was the trade he first fol lowed, serving especially the house of the Daimyo Matsudaira of the period. At this time he lived at Yedo at YotsUya Samegahashi; but after a while he changed his residence to Akasuka Nagaicho and became a painter, first studying under Kano Yosen-in Masanobu and then under Hokusai, from whose work his paintings can sometimes only with difficulty be distinguished. Hokkei published a book in imitation of the great work of h's master and called it Hokkei Mangwa; as well as a series of illustra tions to the " Lives of the Hundred and Eight Heroes," compiled by Tanekiyo and issued in 1856. He never painted actors, and is said by M. Revon to have died during the perio'd Tempo (a.d. 1830- 44) ; but by M. Gonse to have been born in 1780, and to have died between 1856 and 1859 — the former is probably correct. His tomb is at Aoyama Rippoji, and on his monument is the inscrip tion, " Grave of Kienrojin Hokkei. He was an able artist ; he delighted in study of every kind ; he had, in his own house, several thousands of books." The surimono of Hokkei are closely akin in style to those of Hokusai's later years; fine in colour, and where figures are intro duced they are drawn with more actuality and less convention than is generally found in work of the sort. His colour, indeed, is always good ; and his subjects have the usual range, but with such a strong personal flavour as shows more clearly than does the w ork of any other of his class, how thorough was his "recognition of the fact that the change of trade from that of fishhawker to that of artist, implied no alteration of social standing. Thus, taking the specimens in the Library Collection alone, we find three in which his earlier calling suggests the theme:' One (J. 5720) has a jar with a Tai fish ; another (J- 5^93) is made up of pieces of dried Katsuo (a fish, Tyrannus pelamys) withbowl and knife used for preparing it for Zoni, a broth SURIMONO. 103 specially eaten in the New Year ; and a third with a hawker selling Haze fish (a sort of goby), the results of his first fishing in the New Year. Other pupils of Hokusai who produced surimono were : Teisai Hokuba, who made a few charming prints in his master's first style ; Nan-yosai Hokuga, the designer of several which are broader in treatment than usual, and have fewer of the general characteristics of surimono and more of the paintings of the school, and Hokumyo, one of the Osaka artists. These are elsewhere referred to at greater length, as is also Yanagawa Shigenobu, Hokusai's son-in-law, by whom a set entitled "The Hundred Beauties" is worth particular notice. Yet another pupil, Shinsai, is known only by his surimono'; but some of these are by no means rare. The circumstances under which this name was handed on to him by Hokusai have been already set forth. His family name was Hanjiro Masayuki, and his other artist-name Ryuryukyo. In the case of one print by this artist, we have the name of the engraver and printer who collaborated with him, Matsuhiko. Of the same period, but in style more closely approaching to that of Yeizan, are three prints in the Library Collection, of Yoshiwara women at different seasons of the year (J 5135-5137) signed Harukawa Gdshichi. No biographical account of this artist has yet been published ; but I am now able to give some slight outline thereof. His family name was Kamiya Kamesuke, and he was also called Roshu, under which signature he made a few surimono. He was born at Yedo, but at the end of the period Bunkwa (a.d. 1817) he moved to Kyoto. At Yedo he had worked under the painter Harukawa Yekan — not the colour-print artist. He had a reputation as a painter for the fineness of his line in the drawing of portraits of actors, and made a few surimono, which have the same quality in a very marked degree ; indeed, their delicacy is quite extraordinary. The dates of his birth and death are un recorded. The last of the artists who made a speciality of surimono 104 JAPANESE COLOUR PRINTS. and deserves notice for the quality of his work, is somewhat later than any of the preceding. Suiyedo Kakio Hanzan was a painter of Osaka, who, in addition to prints of the ordinary dimensions, made several of much larger size, about 15^ x 21 inches. His work dates from about 1840 to i860, and is broad and effective, if some what coarser in execution than that of his predecessors. One good example may be mentioned, " The old bamboo cutter with the baby princess of the moon," from the Taketori Monogatari. Niho, another artist of the same period with a decided gift for landscape, worked in a similar way and is responsible for an interesting view of the Castle of D"saka from Sakura-no-miya. But many of the colour-print designers of the second quarter of the nineteenth century produced examples of this delightful art. The Library contains several specimens by Kunisada, all belonging to his later years, and in the style characteristic of that period. Keisai Yeisen is the maker of an interesting series, " Women in the characters of the Seven Gods of Good Fortune " (J. 5701-5706), and another which gives a pretty frank exposition of his own pursuits, The hero Asahina drunken with wine " (J. 5700), and Sadakage made one pleasant fancy, a " Peasant woman leading an ox laden with fuel, listening to a nightingale singing beside a waterfall." It should also be mentioned that the museum possesses some excellent specimens of original woodblocks for surimono, including examples by Gakutei, and Hokkei. XI. TECHNIQUE. The history of the art of wood-engraving in Japan goes back to a very remote period. M. Terrien de Lacouperie in his " Origin of Chinese Civilisation" (1894) says that " Hiang-liang styled Kin-to, first printed books about a.d. 330 at Tcheng-tu." The art was thence introduced into Japan, probably by way of Korea, and during the period a.d. 764-770, the Empress Shiyau-toku, " in pursuance of a vow, ordered a million small wooden toy pagodas to be made for distribution among the Buddhist temples and monas teries of the whole country, each of which was to contain a dharani out of the Buddhist Scripture entitled ' Vimala nirbhasa Sutra.' " These texts were printed on paper, eighteen inches in length and two in width, from plates of either wood or metal. There is no doubt that among many forgeries a number of originals still remain, suffi cient to prove the truth of the statement. Earlier than this we have in the Nihongi — one of the two chronicles of Early Japan — a re cord dated in the 3rd month of the 18th year of the Emperor Sujun Tenno (a.d. 610), to the effect that " The King of Koryo (Korea) sent tribute of Buddhist priests named Tam-chhi and Pop-chong. Tamchhi knew the five (Chinese) classics. He was, moreover, skilled in preparing painters' colours, paper and ink." The same work also has several references to the painting of pictures during the seventh century of our era. The earliest books were what we call block-books, i.e., they were printed from engraved blocks of wood instead of from type. This practice, which was universal until the last few decades, and is still much favoured, is the sause of the existence in Japan of a school of 106 JAPANESE COLOUR PRINTS. facsimile wood-engraving, which has never been surpassed in any other country. Although the term suri-hon (printed book) was used in a.d. 987, we have no authentic record of the production of one until a.d. 1172, when an edition of the " Seventeen Laws " appeared — " the earliest Japanese Book of which ary record exists." * During the next two hundred years other books were published, some having a few rough wood-cuts ;' but while the first known Chinese illustrated book known, the Kwanyin Sutra, appeared in a.d. 1331, and the Koreans produced several during the fifteenth century, the history of Japanese book illustration begins with the " ise Mono- gatari," issued in a.d. 1608, a date to be noted in connection with a theory put forth below. After this, illustrated books become more and more frequent, and the practice of colouring the cuts by hand was often adopted ; but, so far as present research has gone, the use of coloured printing begins with a series of two hundred patterns of kimono (the outer robe worn by women) dated 1667, of which the second volume is in the Library (04. C. 20). These are printed in at least four colours, only one of which is used on each plate, namely black, olive green, red and blue. Of course, as these colours are used singly, it cannot be claimed that the result is colour- printing in the ordinary sense of the term. But the mere employ ment of coloured inks is a step of great importance, from which the full achievement was a natural and easy development. Arrived at this point, it is possible to give a full description of the Japanese method of making colour prints-, which arose in the course of the next century, and has been continued without essential change to the present day. To begin with the design was made by a painter, generally of low degree (see p. 4), who made his first drawing in black, with a brush held vertically and loaded with pigment on thin semi-trans- * Satow (E.) — On the Early History of Printing in Japan. Asiatic Soe. of Japan; Trans. Dec. 1881. TECHNIQUE. 107 parent paper (minogami or gampishi). This was passed on to the engraver— always another individual — who pasted it, face down wards, in order to overcome the difficulty of reversal, on a block of soft wood — of the sakura (a species of cherry) for choice. This block was nbt cut across the grain, as are those of European wood en gravers ; but parallel thereto, in the style of Albert Diirer and his contemporaries. In order to make the drawing clearly visible in its new position, the paper was oiled, or even scraped, with a knife, until every line became quite distinct ; and the engraver followed the design throughout with a knife, held in the right hand and guided with the left, so as to mark out the whole composition with cut lines. The superfluous wood was then removed by a series of straight and curved-edged chisels, not differing greatly from those employed by European carpenters, and the drawing thus left in bold relief. "'It will be seen that this process has always absolutely destroyed the original ; so that the claims made on behalf of certain drawings which at one time or another have come into the market, of being the original sketches of this or that print, are entirely without founda tion. Such are, of necessity, either copies or tracings. But the Library possesses one or two sketches which are certainly unen- graved designs, and show how the draughtsman worked. Before passing on, therefore, attention may be called to a peculiarity of some note. The thin paper used made correction impoGsible by the ordinary methods. The Japanese artist therefore re-drew the portion Of his composition that he wished to alter, and pasted it Over the old work, probably making a tracing or clean copy for the use of the engraver. Examples of this procedure will be found in the valuable sketch-books of Kuniyoshi, now in the Art Library (J.D. 2). The completed block furnished the key of the whole, and supplied the black outlines of the entire picture. From it, proofs must have been taken, on one of which the artist indicated each colour to be employed, and these again provided the engraver with 108 JAPANESE COLOUR PRINTS. ' the means of making a set of additional blocks — a separate one for each colour. Over-printing, although sometimes resorted to, was very rare, and for all ordinary purposes may be ignored. At this point the co-operation was needed of a third person, the printer, whose process, a singularly interesting one, differed in almost every respect from those used in Europe. In the first place, his colours, in the form of fine powder, were placed dry upon the block and there nrxed for use with thin size made from rice ; a brush somewhat similar in shape to that used by our whitewashers being employed for the purpose. The rice-paste not only fixes the colours, but is found to give them a peculiarly brilliant and pure quality. The paper is made from the inner bark of the young shoots of the mulberry tree cut in the " withy " stage. It is of great tough ness, and also has the power of absorbing ink or colour to a consider able degree without blurring, another factor of high importance in the producticn of the result. It is first damped by means of a brush to an extent hardly definable, but fixed by the skill of the craftsman ; and in this state is laid on the top of the block, on which the colours have been carefully arranged,, delicately graded when necessary, or even, if the effect require it, wiped clean away. In this latter pro cess the grain of the wood is often made to appear so as to furnish a suggestive texture which may help the design. A notable example of this is a print by Hiroshige II. (J. 5045). The actual impression is taken by rubbing the upper (and, of course, reverse) surface of the paper upwards with a circular movement, alternating from right to left, with a pad called the baren ; consisting of a disc of hempen cord, wound flat-wise round one of its ends, fitted into a socket of paper and cloth, and the whole enclosed in a sheath of bamboo leaf, of which the ends are gathered up to form a handle. The prints are, as finished, hung up on lines to dry. Accuracy of register is secured by the simplest means, a cross cut in the wood at one corner, and a line on one side ; the main reliance of the printer being on a wonder ful perfection of craftsmanship. TECHNIQUE. . 109 In a three-sheet print by Utamaro, one section only of which is in the Art Library (J. 5040) and an imitation of it by Kunisada which is complete (J. 3203), the whole process of engraving and printing is clearly displayed; though, following the fashion of colour-print makers, the workers illustrated are all women instead qf, as was invariably the case in fact, men. Herein may be seen the first cutting, the finishing of the block, grinding the tools, damping the paper, and in a side room the equipment of the colourist — brushes, pots of pigment, and block on a low table with a baren lying beside it. The colours used were, during the best period, mineral and vege table substances, pretty much the same as our own. A list of them is given by M. Regamey* which may be summarised as follows • - Tamango, clear yellow. Toka, dark chestnut. Ai, dark blue. Kusa, lettuce green. Yama buki, clear orange. Yubana, mastic white. Tatsulsi, silver white. Chia'i, vermilion. Taicha, red brown. Sumis, black. Beni, red. In Kyosai's book a full description of the palette of that painter is also given. As a general rule the ground of the composition is furnished by the natural colour of the paper. Sometimes, however, this is found to be of a deep brown, which is perhaps the result of a stain. But one notices frequently that the artist has felt the necessity of forcing the high lights to a greater pitch than simple printing would give; and has achieved this by the use of an additional printing which *Regamey, F. Japan in Art and Industry. English translation by M. F., and E. L. Sheldon, 1893. no JAPANESE COLOUR PRINTS. covers all the background — yellow being most frequently met with, though a silvery uneven grey was also employed with telling effect by Toyokuni I. and men of his school. Some fine prints of this period are on a specially thick paper, powdered with mica dust. The use of metallic powders was chiefly confined to the surimono (see p. 97) and prints of the Osaka School, those mainly used being gold, silver, and a greenish bronze. In the former class we see the art of printing at its highest stage of technical excellence. The register is marvellous. In all Japanese colour prints it is secured by simple guides cut in the block— a cross at one corner and a line at one of the opposite sides. In many of the ordinary broadsheets this may not be always precisely accurate ; indeed, there are some times reasons for concluding that a softness of outline was deliber ately procured by avoiding a too exact adjustment. But one never finds the variation of a hairsbreadth in surimono. In addition to the blocks for various colours, an effect of blind printing (gauffrage) was often secured by the use of an additional printing from a clean block, and by this means a relief of surprising sharpness and durability was procured. A Japanese story is that the extreme forms of this were made by rubbing off the impression with the point of the elbow instead of the bar en ; a possibility which fails to astonish among so many other evidences of almost incredible haiidicraftsmanship. This is made use of for diapered backgrounds, patterns on textiles, or even to take the place of extreme delicacies of drawing. In such cases it could not, of course, have been f pro duced by the artist in his original design, and its existence, there fore, implies some superintendence by him of the actual process of printing. During the last half of the nineteenth century, the use of crape- paper became common, and the process of its manufacture is So ingenious as to merit a description in some detail. The paper used was of the ordinary kind, and the print made in the manner already described. A ' number of prints is then damped, and tied round TECHNIQUE. in a fixed cylinder of smooth wood, on the upper and uncovered end of which a collar works up and down by means of a lever so as to bear with a considerable amount of force on the edges of the bundle of prints. The working of this compresses them inwards. When this process has been sufficiently applied in one direction, the bundle is unfastened, the prints re-arranged relatively to each other on a definite system which brings the other edges in turn under the collar, the whole process being repeated until all the prints have thus been treated at practically every possible angle. The final result is a crape-like quality of the paper, and its reduction in super ficial area to a small fraction of its original size ; every detail of the design being preserved in a most remarkable manner, while the quality of the colouring is much improved. As an instance of this the two prints in the National Art Library by Kunitsuna, (J. 2345), and (J. 2346) may be referred to. They are both from the same blocks, and if the smaller one were damped and carefully rolled out, it would resume the proportions of the greater. In this connection it may be pointed out that all old Japanese colour prints may quite safely be soaked in water ; in some of the more modern ones a crimson lake, imported from Europe, is, however, liable to run to some extent, even when great care is exercised. One or two points are worth bringing out in connection with the colours used. The key-block was almost,' but not quite always printed in black. Utamaro, however, occasionally used a fine red for his outlines of faces andother undraped portions Of the figure; and Shunman followed his example in at least one superb Specimen in the Library (J. 6016). During the third quarter of the nineteenth century, a marked deterioration of colour is found, due to the impor tation of German pigments, a particularly offensive violet being one of the most characteristic faults of this period. The colours were then applied without much discrimination or taste ; and although the engraving itself has never quite lost its quality, for about thirty years the prints produced are not comparable in technique with their 112 JAPANESE COLOUR PRINTS. predecessors. After about the year 1880, an entirely new class of colouring is met with. Aniline colours are now used almost without exception, and the result is a greater transparency of tint, the old opaque manner of mixing the pigments having been quite abandoned. The result is pleasing and has a facile delicacy ; but, withal, gives a suggestion of cheapness and weakness from which the older prints are entirely free. In other respects the technique of modern prints remains unaltered. The old colours are now almost unobtainable in Japan. Kyosai, the last of the great Ukiyoye artists, treasured some small fragments during his whole life. He would show them with pride to pupils and friends, explaining that he reserved them for some special great occasion which he still awaited. But he never found it, and to the day of his death could not bring himself to use them. The old prints fade, and much of the tone admired by some amateurs has been thus caused. Their fading, however, is quite harmonious. The colours keep their proper relation to each other to a surprising degree. This is not the case with those in which European pigments have been used. These fade also more rapidly and to a greater extent, but much more unequally ; so that, while some mellow to a quite pleasant softness, others persist in all their vulgarity, to the utter destruction of the composition. The paper, also, deepens in tint to some extent under the influence of light and exposure to the atmosphere ; but, as already pointed out,the extreme brown tones met with are probably due to artificial means, or to the effect of charcoal braziers on prints mounted on screens in living rooms. Prints were made as a rule in a few standard sizes, a dimension cf about 14 x 10 inches, either vertically or horizontally arranged, being the most common. Other varieties were the hossoye, small, narrow prints, as a rule, porLraits of actors ; hachirakaki (panel pictures), longer compositions with less width in proportion to their height, sometimes in one sheet, and sometimes in two placed one over the TECHNIQUE. 113 other. Examples of these are about 22 x /\\ inches in size. Oc casionally, again, two sheets of the common dimensions were used in the same way ; and both these latter kinds were roughly mounted on rollers in imitation of kakemono (hanging pictures), the paintings of the wealthier class, and so used by the common people. The Library possesses a number still in this condition. The sizes of the surimono have already been given. Compositions often occupied more than one sheet, the usual ar rangement in this case being of three or five ; though, especially at Osaka, two and four-sheet prints are by no means infrequent. Some times six, or even seven-sheet prints are found. This practice is said by Captain Brinkley to have been introduced by Kiyonaga, in 1775. One example of a rare arrangement of a six-sheet print (by Toyokuni I.) has already been mentioned ; this consists of two sets of three placed one over the other. Some of the landscapes are of three sheets, arranged horizontally. Colour prints were also made for fans, and designed to a shape specially suitable for this purpose. The Library has some fine examples of this nature by Hiroshige II. , Kunisada, Kuniyoshi, etc. To prints coloured by different processes specific names are given. Thus those tinted by hand, if. specially in yellow, tanye ; with lacquer colours, are termed urushiye ; early prints tinted in red only, beniye. A special method of printed colouring in blue ; blue and red ; or blue, red, and green ; in imitation of Chinese porce lain c'olours, has several times been referred to, but the author is unable to say if the Japanese used any special term to describe it. From the earliest times of the art, prints were distributed through booksellers, whose names or seals often were engraved on them. The relationship of the makers to these publishers was generally that of workmen to their employer. Sometimes, as in the notable cases of Utamaro and Keisai Yeisen, the artist was actually boarded by his publisher, although this does not appear to have been a general rule. Sets of prints were sometimes issued, part by one 7618. H 114 JAPANESE COLOUR PRINTS. publisher, and part by another. It is probable that the engravers, and especially the printers, actually worked directly for the publisher ; it is comparatively rare to find their names on a print ; but there are instances where it is specified that the same man was both publisher and printer, though none have so far been noticed where the former was identical with the engraver. This arrangement is doubtless responsible for the decadence of colouring noticeable in the nineteenth century. The publishers, under stress of competition, must have welcomed the cheaper foreign pigments, and used them without consideration for the artist's feelings in any degree. In earlier times the latter would probably have exercised some supervision over the printer, or at least have approved his work, though there is no record of any definite relationship between them". Indeed, the silence of the Japanese historians on the subject of the engraver is one of the most curious and, to us, unaccountable features of the whole problem. At facsimile reproduction the Japanese engravers have been — indeed are — perhaps the most skil ful in the world. But they seem to have been looked on as mere mechanics, and the whole art to have been utterly ignored in a country where all the other artistic crafts have always been held in high esteem. Of course, it must be said that their work was entirely mechanical. There was never any original engraving in Japan ; and not even the latitude for interpretation such as was al lowed to, or taken by, the British wood-engravers of the sixties, or the Americans and French of the generation that followed them. The artist made his design, exactly to the smallest detail, as it was to be reproduced, and the engraver had only to cut it on the wood, ine for line and point for point. How well he did this, even in recent years, can be seen in the Victoria and Albert Museum, where the original drawings for Kono Bairei's " Book of Birds " are exhibited side by side wuh proofs from the blocks. In this case the drawings were preserved, having been copied for the purposes of the engraver: fortunately, inasmuch as they .furnish undeniable evi- TECHNIQUE. 115 dence of the amazing skill of the latter. For, in spite of the inter vention of the copyist, it requires a close scrutiny to tell which is the drawing and which the print. In this place it may be worth while again to mention that the Museum also possesses the original blocks of a book, and also of surimono by Gakutei, Hokkei, and others. It is by no means infrequent to find on the prints of the nineteenth century an addition to the signature to the effect that they were made " by special order." One would imagine this to imply that the giving of a direct commission to the artist was at that time suf ficiently notable to be worthy of record ; and, consequently, that most of his work was undertaken at the instigation of the pub lisher only. This view is supported by the inscription on the print mentioned in Chapter VII, which celebrated the visit of Kunisada to Osaka. Another small circular seal is found impressed on prints in the early part of the same century. It means " of special quality." Later the same device is cut on almost every print. It had evi dently lost its personal value as a guarantee, and become a meaning less trade tradition ; another witness of the loss of control by the artist over the execution of his design. The artist frequently used a seal, as well as his engraved signature- and occasionally the publisher did the same. But the latter more often had a device, sometimes symbolical, sometimes an abbrevia tion of his names, cut on the block. Examples of these abbreviated renderings have been given in the chapter on the Osaka School, and other instances can be seen in the Catalogue of Japanese Prints in the Library. The Boston Museum of Fine Arts possesses a complete set of tools and materials used in the production of colour prints, which are fully described and illustrated in a report by M. Tokuno, with com ments by the late Mr. S. R. Koehler, in a paper published in the Re port ofthe Smithsonian Institution, United States National Museum, 1892, page 221. It is to be hoped that a similar collection will soon 7168. H 2 ti6 JAPANESE COLOUR PRINTS. be acquired for the Victoria and Albert Museum, where it would be of great service to the many artists in this country who are attempt ing to work in this fascinating medium. The Kunstgewerbe Museum at Hamburg has, by the efforts of Dr. Julius Brinckmann, been similarly equipped ; and it may be mentioned as an interesting result that Fraulein Minna Hahn (Frau Brinckmann) has succeeded in producing some excellent colour prints by the use, not only of Japanese methods, but of their tools and all other accessories. The possibilities of European artists succeeding in the practice of the process are now fully proved ; and, by none better, than the work of Herr Emil Orlik, who learned his methods in Japan. Some fine examples of his prints, including three showing the painter; engraver, and printer at work, can be referred to in the Library. • Reference has elsewhere been made to the illustration by Hokusa of the shop of his publisher, the well-known Tsutaya. We may supplement this by an account of a portrait* of anothe equally- famous bookseller, Yeijudo, whose imprint is met with at least as often as that of the former. This was executed by Toyokuni I., and represents Yeijudo seated before a singing-desk, with a No dance fan, a pleasant indication of his favourite pursuits. Behind him is a screen, with illustrations of the three lucky subjects of dreams, Mount Fuji, a hawk, and an egg-plant. The inscription records that it is a portrait of Yeijudo Hibino at the age of seventy-one, and it bears his trade stamp. The value of this print is more than that of a curiosity. Toyokuni I. died in the year 1825, and Yeijudo cannot have lived much longer. We have, therefore, a safe indica tion by which to judge the date of prints published by him, so far as lateness is concerned, in the cases of those men who outlived Toyokuni ; and the sum of definite evidence towards a chronological classification of any artist's work is so small, as to make anything of this sort a most valuable auxiliary to the student. "* In the collection of tbe Hon; Walter Guinness, XII. SUBJECTS OF ILLUSTRATION. A short essay on the chief subjects to which the makers of colour- prints devoted their attention, is a necessary accompaniment to any work dealing with the prints themselves — for by no means is one better able to estimate the manner of the appeal they made, and of the audience to which it was directed. Before entering into a consideration of this matter, it is as well to set forth in definite. language what will, to some extent, have already been gathered from the preceding pages. The painters of the Ukiyo-ye school were, almost without exception, men of the artisan class. They worked for small wages ; even, a few years ago, earning only from fifty to seventy -five sen per diem - (from one shilling to one shilling and sixpence). They were of no birth — in a land where good descent counted for as much as in any European State that- ever existed. Their habits were those of the labouring classes, with a stronger savour of what may charitably be called Bohemian- ism, than was displayed by any of their fellow craftsmen. And it was no uncommon occurrence for them to turn from one trade to another without effort ; as, for instance, Hokkei abandoned the business of selling fish for that of making prints. But it must be said that a proportion found their artistic inspiration in the craft to which they were primarily brought up — embroidery-making, dyeing, and the like. These men were, then, essentially of the people. They made for a living what it best paid them to make ; and this simple fact is worth keeping in mind in view of the glamour which certain Euro pean critics, dazzled by their amazing and (from our point of view) unaccountable skill, have endeavoured to throw over them. 118 JAPANESE COLOUR PRINTS. On a survey of the whole range of subjects on general lines, it will be seen that these (with the exception of the surimono — a class apart) group themselves in a few easily defined categories : pictures of women ; theatrical scenes and portraits of actors ; illustrations of historical and legendary stories, and landscapes. The latter have been already treated of in chapter IX. It only remains now to discuss the first three. As regards the women, it must be said that the most attractive and the most useful to designers, are the pictures of the denizens of the Yoshiwara of Yedo, and the similar institutions of Kyoto, Osaka and Nagasaki. In them are seen the finest colour, the richest costume, and the most delicate drawing. They form a large proportion of the whole ; and this alone will at once explain the contempt felt by all refined Japanese for an art which devotes its greatest powers to the portraiture of the courtesan. Besides the Yoshiwara women, Geisha — singing girls and tea-house attendants — were greatly favoured ; and of both classes, the leading beauties are found to have been depicted by many of the chief colour-print makers of their day, in evident rivalry. Representations of ordinary women are not uncommon, though in the minority. Yoshiwara women and geisha were often painted merely as por traits — sometimes, and especially by the schools of Utamaro and Yeizan the head and shoulders only. Or the former are depicted at full length, in all the glory of magnificent apparel — ¦ " Flowing gowned And hugely sashed, with pins a-row Your quaint head as with flamelets crowned." or engaged in the amusements with which the long day was wiled away within the cage ; while the geisha are shown bearing their musical instruments, or giving the entertainments of their profes sion. But one curious, and, as far as the author knows, unique cus tom prevailed in this pictorial worship of women. The artists had a fancy — quaint and not without a dash of irony, one would suspect — SUBJECTS OF ILLUSTRATION. 119 Of representing all sorts of occupations, scenes of daily life, heroes of history and legend, and even deities, by women, generally of the two above-named classes, Thus, we have already noticed a re presentation of the craft of colour-printing itself of this kind ; the cultivation of the silk-worm is another favoured subject, in which the persons engaged are by no means peasants ; the old-time pro cessions of the nobles with their retinues of attendants, banner- bearers and swordsmen form the theme of some of the best five- and three-sheet prints by the Utagawas — but there is never a man among them : the Chinese Sages, the One Hundred and Eight Chinese Heroes, the Famous Classical Poets, the Gods of Good ' Fortune, and other deities, all are often found in the guise of beauti ful women. And even in landscape, such series as the Stations of the Tokaido, are sirrilarly suggested, by some allusion too subtle for the European to detect, of which the outward sign is a gaily- dressed female. The second category mentioned, that connected with theatrical matters, calls for a more detailed explanation, inasmuch as it dis plays an interesting characteristic of the Japanese nation. In Japan the drama has existed for many generations ; the common people are passionately fond of it ; and even the aristocracy had a suppressed taste in the same direction ; which, however, was rarely allowed to display itself publicly. A favourite actor was idolised by the populace — as an actor. On the stage he was supreme. His portraits sold by thousands: But as a man, his social rank was inferior to that of the artisan. Even those colour-print artists who devoted themselves to making portraits of actors and pictures cf scenes from popular plays, suffered from the association ; and histories of the lives of painters of the Ukiyoye School continually record, obviously as a virtue, that such or such an artist " never painted actors." The well-known story of Hokusai and the great actor Onoye Baiko is an apt illustration of thin state of affairs. In 1810, when Hokusai was very poor, Baiko was anxious to obtain 120 JAPANESE COLOUR PRINTS. from him a design of a certain kind of phantom, a class of work for which the. artist was then in high repute. Baiko visited him in some state ; and, on entering the wretched room in which Hokusai then lived, almost without furniture, without a stove, and carpeted with dirty mats, he, before sitting down, spread a rug of his own on which to rest in comfort and cleanliness, and then began the usual polite forms of conversation. Hokusai, his pride hurt by this ostentation, went on with his work in absolute silence ; utterly ignoring the presence of the actor, who finally had to depart bitterly angry and humiliated. After a time, however, he again sought the artist, this time humbly and with many apologies ; and so eventually induced him to accept a commission. Yet at this very time Hokusai's house bore the inscription " Hachiyemon — Peasant." Allusion has just been made to the demand for portraits of actors. So long ago as 1695 those of the famous actor Ichikawa Danjiuro (the name is hereditary, and there has ever since been a holder of it) were sold in the streets of Yedo. These portraits were some times of the head only ; sometimes full length figures in character. The actors are very often represented wearing the masks used on the stage, a detail which affords an explanation of a harshness and conventionality of drawing in the face, sometimes too hastily ascribed to the artists' incapacity for accurate portraiture. Besides the portraits, scenes from well-known plays were extremely popular. These generally consist of three figures, the central one being the principal ; and' the scenery and accessories are carefully and fully rendered. It would take too long to give even the slightest account of the plays most often chosen, but attention must be drawn to the most famous of therr — the Chiushingura or Story of the Forty-seven Ronin. This old romance rests on a sound histori cal foundation. A certain lord was forced, as the outcome of an unsought quarrel put upon him by a rival, to perform harakiri ; and so reduced his samurai, retainers, to the condition of ronin, or vassals without a chief. They waited their time, and, after a SUBJECTS OF ILLUSTRATION. 121 while, attacked the house of the offender, killed him; and then, marching in solemn procession, surrendered themselves and all put an end to their lives with due formality, after making a record of the facts. The story has been delightfully told by Mr. Mitford in " Tales of Old Japan " ; and more accurately by Mr. James Mur doch, who has made a compilation of the results of an examination of the documents by Mr. Shigeno, Professor of History in the Im perial University of Japan. As it stands, it is the foundation of several plays, and still holds the pride of place at the head of the favourite stories of the nation. The event occurred in the year 1701-2. In colour-prints it is represented in various ways : often in the form of sets of twelve scenes ; sometimes the personages are all shown as women ; sometimes comic travesties of it appear ; and again portraits of the heroes, or of actors playing the parts of them, or of the ronin. Colour-prints were used for theatre programmes. Such have portraits of the actors in the play announced, surmounted with inscriptions in a peculiar heavy script, very decorative in character, Other prints have pictures of an actor in each of his favourite parts, or even in each of the characters of a special play. When a popular actor died, his portrait, with shaven head, dressed in the pale blue robe of the religious recluse, and sometimes placed in the attitude of a Buddha, was sold in large numbers. This custom seems especi ally to have prevailed about the period Ansei (a.d. 1854-1860). The exteriors and interiors of theatres were drawn by several artists, the latter notably by Toyokuni I. and Kunisada ; who also both made some most interesting sectional views showing the in teriors of the " backs " of theatres, with the dresring-rooms, cor ridors, etc., and actors engaged in all the processes of " making-up " and dressing for the stage. A specially interesting set of three prints of this nature by Kunisada of the Dotombori Theatre at Osaka has already been described in the life of that artist. Among historical scenes, none are more often met with than those 122 JAPANESE COLOUR PRINTS. relating to events in the life of Yoshitsune (or Ushiwaka) — the brother of Yoritomo — and of his servant Benkei. These are the great heroes of historical romance in Japan; and the people were never tired of pictures of Yoshitsune being taught fencing by the Tengu (mythical beings, half human and half bird) ; of. his fight with Benkei on Gojo bridge, where he overcame and secured for ever after, the services of that gigantic warrior ; of their wanderings and wonderful adventures together ; and of Yoshitsune 's prowess in the battles between his clan, the Minamoto, and their enemies, the Taira, culminating with the defeat and destruction of the latter at Dan-no-ura. The story of Benkei himself is another fruitful source of colour-prints, the theft of the great bell of Midera, and the tale of the plum-tree of Amagasaki, on which the Emperor Nintoku had written a famous poem, being the incidents most often chosen. The expeditions to Korea of the Empress Jingo in the third, and of Kato Kiyomasa and Konishi, under Hideyoshi, in the sixteenth, century are similarly dealt with ; while short mention must be made of the fight between Atsumori and Kumagai ; the story of Yorimitsu and the Shuten Doji ; the revenge of the Soga brothers for the murder of their father ; and incidents in the lives of Kiyo- hime, Tadamori, Yorimasa, and Kusunoki Masashige which also belong to this category. In addition to these three principal classes of subject just dealt with there are certain others which call for mention. In the first rank of these must be placed the Seven Gods of Good Fortune, (Shichi-fuku-jiu) who are treated with such jovial comradeship and so little reverence by the Japanese. These are — Fukurokuju, a little old man with an abnormally high forehead, bearing a staff and accompanied by one or all of, the deer, crane and tortoise ; he represents Longevity. Very similar in appearance and with the same emblems, except that he is usually represented as taller than the last, is Jurojin. Daikoku, the deity of the Five Cereals, carried a hammer and bag, and has for other attributes bales of rice, and tea, SUBJECTS OF ILLUSTRATION. i23 and a rat. Hotei carries a large bag, and is fat, with a broad smiling face, and his robe generally open at the breast. Yebisu, whose function it is to provide the food of the Japanese labourer, carries a huge tai fish. Bishamon, a warrior in full armour, is the deity of wealth. Benten (Benzaiten) is the goddess of wealth, fertility, and offspring. She is shown with a serpent or dragon and as a beautiful woman playing on a musical instrument — and, it may be said, is never made the subject of pictorial jokes, as are her fellows. The Seven Gods are often depicted on the Takara bune, or Ship of Good Fortune, on which they sail into port every New Year's eve bearing the Takaramono or Precious Things — the Hat of Invisibility, the Lucky Raincloak, the Inexhaustible Purse, and other similar treasures. Of other deities perhaps Amaterasu, the Sun-Goddess, and Shoki the queller of oni (demons) should be mentioned, as well as Kwan-non, the female Buddha and goddess of Mercy. The Rokkasen or Six Famous Poets, were Ono-no-Komachi, Sojo Henjio, Bunya-no-Yasuhide, Ariwara-no-Narihira, Kisen Hoshi, and Otomo-no-Kuronushi. They, or travesties of them, frequently appear in the colour-prints, as do the Thirty-six Poets whose names are given in full by Professor Anderson. The Twenty- four Examples of Filial Piety ; the Hundred and Eight Chinese Heroes ; and the Hundred Poems, also furnish motives for sets of prints, especially in the later periods of the art. Story telling, pure and simple, had its most popular illustration in sets of prints of scenes in the life of Prince Genji, the hero of a tenth century romance,the Genji Monogatari, by a Fujiwara princess, Murasaki Shibiku. This novel is in fifty-four chapters, of which the first forty-one deal with the adventures of the Prince, chiefly amongst ladies — and the remainder principally with one of his sons. Kunisada made some, the best of his later prints, for this purpose. Of the folk-tales, that of Urashima, the Japanese equiva lent of Rip Van Winkle, the Bamboo-cutter's daughter, Little 124 JAPANESE COLOUR PRINTS. Peachling, and the story of the Sacred Jewel (Muge Hojin) have inspired many artists. The stories are all set out at length in Ander son's Catalogue, and in most of the collections of Japanese fairy-tales- Comic scenes and caricatures are not common, and rarely well executed. It seems to have been felt that any sort of work was-good enough for such prints as avowedly belonged to this class ; though this remark must not be taken as applying to some of the produc tions of Hokusai and Hiroshige I., wherein the humour is subjective and a result of accurate and appreciative observation of humanity. But in the decline of the art, we find acts of " Comic Accidents " with incidents of a broadly farcical nature ; as well as Battles between Frogs and Mice or even between vegetables and other objects ; which supply a simple form of satire. Kuniyoshi made a set of remarkable prints imitating sketches such as are scribbled on the walls by idle people and the Library possesses three of them. The story of Hidari Jingoro, the famous sculptor, whose masterpiece came to life when finished ; also furnishes material for the irreverent colour-print designer. It will be noticed, on a review of the whole of the subjects of the colour-prints, that many which were formerly the most popular, suddenly ceased, to appear in anything like large quantities. This was probably due, not so much to a change of fashion, as to an edict of the Shogun, issued in 1842, forbidding the sale of prints of actors," of women of the Yoshiwara and geisha classes, as well as of three-sheet pictures, and any which required more than seven blocks. Captain F. Brinkley* states that this law only remained in force for twelve years : but he rightly points out, that it must have severely checked the production of colour- prints and doubtless hastened the decadence. It also accounts for the gaps in the work of artists such as Kunisada and Kuniyoshi. * Brinkley (Capt. F.)— The Art. of Japan, vol. i , p. 33, Boston, U.S.A., 1901. SUBJECTS OF ILLUSTRATION. 125 ft only remains to note that many sets of prints are arranged on some plan suggested by the division of time : the seasons, the months, the hours of the day, the rising and setting of the sun and moon. And that "others record great outdoor holidays, picnics for the purpose of viewing cherry or plum blossom, or maple-leaves in the autumn ; the iris-gardens in bloom, the hills covered with snow, or the summer evenings in the suburbs of Yedo, when the river was crowded with boats gaily lit with lanterns, and the sky ruddy with the flash of fireworks. All these scenes give a charming reflection of the life of the lower classes in old Japan : their simple pleasures, their tastes, and the occupations and surroundings of their daily lives. Looked at as a whole, the matter is somewhat admirable : for of no other nation in the world can it be said that its lowest grades of society have during a century and a half, evolved, perfected, and maintained a system so complete, excellent, and artistic ; resting, moreover on an intricate technique, which, in its own way, has never been equalled. There is no higher praise possible for the fine taste of the average Japanese. XIII. A JAPANESE HISTORY OF ENGRAVING. The Library contains a print (J. 6535) by Hoku-i which has a quite particular interest in connection with the history of engrav ing. It is of no great artistic merit ; the picture consisting simply of representations of three persons seated around a dwarf pine-tree, on which are seen a hairy-tailed tortoise and a crane — all three being well-known symbols of long life and good luck. These figures are portraits : the first of an artist — probably Hoku-i him self, with paint-brushes and a badge constructed with repetitions of the character Ye (picture), and wearing a ceremonial cap. The second is an engraver with mallet, and badge of eight chisels placed like the spokes of a wheel ; and the third, a printer whose badge is three printing-brushes similarly disposed. The two latter have caps of less dignity than the first. The title of the print is Adzuma Nishikiye Yurei (History of Japanese colour-prints) and a note explains that the print refers also to Ishizuri, prints from engraved stone ; Hankb, wood-cuts ; Surimono, specially printed designs for the New Year, etc. The signature is Haksanjin Hoku-i (who was a pupil of Hokusai) ; and the publisher, Bunseido Kobayashi. There is a long inscription which, freely translated, runs as follows : — " The inventor of engraving was Goshi Sonja, an early disciple " of Sakya Muni, who dwelt on the mountain Reijiusen in India. " He engraved texts on copper plates, but without reversing the "lettering. From these, impressions in reverse were obtained "with black grease, which were sent to China. The Chinese " copied them on stone, and so began stone-printing. In China, JAPANESE HISTORY OF ENGRAVING. 127 " about the period Kwan-shiu (100 b.c.) Byodo printed texts from " wood, which was the beginning of wood-cuts. Shiro, a follower " of Koshi (Confucius), made a poem of about fifty characters cut " on one piece of wood, which was huftg on the wall of his study. " Nishikiye began in the time of Ashikaga Yoshimasa (a great '' patron of the arts, died a.d. 1490), who ordered a Tosa artist to " make a painting .of the Hundred Devils Walking in the " Evening.' Oguri Sotan was master of Ukiyo Matahei, who lived " at Otsu, and painted many Tobaye with colour : and this was " the beginning of Ukiyo Nishikiye. In the period of Genwa " (a.d. 1616-1623) Katsushika Hokyushi, a comic poet who lived " at Musashi, ordered Chikamatsu Ryusai to engrave on cherry- " wood a picture of a pine -branch, and this was the beginning of " Surimono. In the period Manji, (a.d. 1658-1660) another man " from the same district, Takekawa Minosuke, observing how "impressions are were rubbed off leaves (Shinobuzu.i) obtained the " idea of making colour-prints." Of course the importance of this document must not be exaggerated. Its author was -only an artizan ; and though he lived long enough to have come into touch with the beginnings of modern Japan, his story must not be given the same credit as would be awarded to that of a more educated man. As it stands it contains several obvious errors, as the earlier chapters of this book make manifest. But he undoubtedly sets forth the common Japanese tradition as to the first beginnings of engraving ; and the suggestion, in this by no means negligeable form, that the Chinese owed their arts of printing and engraving to the Buddhist missionaries from India is absolutely new to us. It is, moreover, well worthy of further examination : especially in view of the admit edly high excellence of the art of sculpture even in the time of the Buddhist King Asoka. It is to be noted, also, that we already possess a record that, in the second century b.c, an embassy, perhaps sent by Huviska, took Buddhist books to the 128 JAPANESE COLOUR PRINTS. Emperor of China A-ili ; and that a successor, the Buddhist King Kanishka (about io a.d.) is said to have had three commentaries engraved on plates of copper and sealed up in a stone box, over which he built a Dagaba (Rhys Davids). These things show that those writers who have hitherto ascribed the invention of engraving on metal to the later Middle Ages of Europe, must go much farther afield in their researches. JAPANESE CHRONOLOGY. The Japanese have three methods of chronology. Firstly, by periods, each dating from some special event, and of arbitrary length ; secondly, by cycles of sixty years each ; and thirdly, by cycles of twelve years, to each of which is given the name of an animal in regular sequence. As the latter practice is frequently of value in dating a print, when the animal of the year is introduced into the. design, a comparative table according to the different methods is given below. CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE OF THE PERIOD COVERED BY THIS VOLUME. Year of our Lord. Japanese Period. Year of the Cycle. Name of the Year. Year of our Lord. Japanese Period. Year of the Cycle. Name of the Year. 1688 Genroku 5 Dragon. 4 Hoyei 21 Monkey. 9 6 Snake. 5 22 Cook. 1690 7 Horse. 6 23 Dog. 1 •8 Sheep. 7 24 Wild Boar. 2 9 Monkey. 8 25 Rat. 3 10 Cock. 9 26 Ox. 4 11 Dog. 1710 27 Tiger. 5 12 Wild Boar. 1 Shotoku 28 Hare. 6 13 Rat. 2 29 Dragon. 7 14 Ox. 3 30 Snake. 8 15 Tiger. 4 31 Horse. 9 16 Hare. 5 32 Sheep. 1700 17 Dragon, 6 Kioho 33 Monkey. 1 18 Snake. 7 34 Cock. 2 19 Horse. 8 35 Dog. 3 20 Sheep. 9 36 Wild Boar. 761? 130 JAPANESE COLOUR PRINTS. Year of our Lord. Japanese Period. Year of the Cycle. Name of the Year. Year of Tamrese Year of our , J|SSe , the Lord. ] Perl0tl- ' Cycle. Name of the Year. 1720 ! 37 Rat. 4 11 Dog. 1 38 Ox. 5 12 Wild Boar. 2 39 Tiger. 6 13 Rat. 3 40 Hare. 7 14 Ox. 4 41 Dragon. 8 15 Tiger. 5 42 Snake. 9 16 Hare. 6 43 Horse. 1760 17 Dragon: 7 44 Sheep. 1 18 Snake. 8 45 Monkey. . 2 19 Hoise. 9 46 Cock. 3 20 Sheep. 1730 47 Dog. 4 Meiwa 21 Monkey. 1 48 Wild Boar. 5 22 Cock. 2 49 Rat. 6 23 Dog. 3 50 Ox. 7 24 Wild Boar. 4 51 Tiger. 8 25 Rat. 5 52 Hare. 9 26 Ox. 6 Gembun 53 Dragon. 1770 27 Tiger. 7 54 Snake. 1 28 Hare., 8 55 Horse. 2 Anyei .29 Dragon. 9 56 Sheep. 3 30 Snake. 1740 57 Monkey. 4 31 Horse. 1 Kwampfi 58 Cock. 5 32 Sheep. 2 59 Dog. 6 33 Monkey. 3 60 Wild Boar. 7 i 34 Cock, 4 Enkio 1 Rat. »l 35 Dog/ 5 2 Ox. 9j 36 Wild Boar. 6 i 3 Tiger. 1780 37 Rat. 7 4 Hare. 1 Temmei 38 Ox. 8 1 Kwanyen 5 Dragon. o 39 Tiger. 9 ; 6 Snake. 3 40 Hare. 1750 7 Horse. 4 [ 41 Dragon. 1 Horeki 8 Sheep. 5 42 Snake. 2 9 Monkey. 6 43 Horse.-.-' 3 10 Cock. 7 44 Sheep. CHRONOLOGICAL TABLE. 131 Year of our Lord. - Japanese- Period. Year of the - Cycle. Name of the Year. Year of our Lord. - Japanese Period. Year of the Cycle. Name of the Year. - 8" 45 Monkey. 2 19 Horse. 9 Kwansei 46 Cock. 3 } 20 Sheep. 1790 47 Dog. 4 21 Monkey. 1 48 Wild Boar. 5 22 Cock. 2 ¦¦-¦;?¦ 49 Rat.^ 6 23 Dog. 3 50 Ox. 7 24, Wild Boar. 4 51 ; Tiger. 8 25 Rat. 5 52 Hare. 9 26 Ox. 6 53 Dragon. 1830" 'Tempo-' ¦'-' ' 27"" "Tiger;' 7 54 Snake. 1 28 Hare. 8 ¦« i' j .. 55 Horse. 2 ¦ ; 29 ' Dragon. 9 a ' :¦- i ;;56 Sheep. 3- ¦1 30 Snake. 1800 ' '57 Monkey. 4 31 ' Horse. 1 Kiowa 58 Cock. 5 32 Sheep. 2 59 Dog. 6 33 Monkey. 3 60 Wild Boar. 7 34 Cock. 4 Bunkwa 1 Rat. 8 35 Dog. 5 2 Ox. 9 36 Wild Boar. 6 3 Tiger. 1840 37 Rat. 7 4 Hare. 1 38 Ox. 8 5 Dragon. 2 39 Tiger. 9 6 Snake. 3 40 Hare. 1810 7 Horse. 4 Kokwa 41 Dragon. 1 8 Sheep. 5 42 Snake. 2 9 Monkey. 6 43 Horse. 3 10 Cock. 7 44 Sheep. 4 11 Dog. 8 Kayei 45 Monkey. 5 12 Wild Boar. 9 46 Cock. 6 13 Rat. 1850 47 Dog. 7 14 Ox. 1 48 Wild Boar. 8 Bunsei 15 Tiger. 2 49 Rat. 9 16 Hare. 3 50 Ox. 1820 17 Dragon. 4 Ansei 51 Tiger. 1 18 Snake. 5 52 Hare. 7618 133 JAPANESE COLOUR PRINTS. Year of our Lord. Japanese Period. Year of the Cycle. Name of the Year. Year of our Lord. - Japanese Period. Year of the Cycle. Name of the Year. 6 53 Dragon. 3 60 Wild Boar. 7 54 Snake. 4 Genji 1 Rats 8 55 Horse. 5 Kei-o 2 Ox. 9 56 Sheep. 6 3 Tiger. 1860 Mangen 57 Monkey. 7 4 Hare. 1 Bunkiu 58 Cock. 1868 Meiji 5 Dragon. "2 59 Dog. (Still current.) The months also are associated with the names of the twelve animals as under : — January — Tiger. February — Hare MuTch—Ih'agonApril — Snake. May — Horse. June — Sheep. July — Monkey. August — Cock. September — Dog. October— Wild Boar. November — Rat. December — Ox. SIGNATURES OF ARTISTS. f f f * f 1 2 3 4 5 ft* it * £ S /I 10 •12 ¦* 14 "* 11 13 15 I * ^ It ft „ i » K 18 19 20 2] 22 23 24 25 134 JAPANESE COLOUR PRINTS. 26 ** 31 36 41 y 27 J2 37 *« 42 i 28 ' 33 38 29 34 % 39 « ^ k :.30 35 40 ft f 46 47 -49 50 SIGNATURES. 135 k '"51 k 56 61 %n 52 9 57 ^ 62 4 53 58 * 63 4 e 54 59 4 ? 64 % i ff ?¦ 55 V* 60 ¦sfl, 65 66 67 68 69 70 41 71 X 72 A *1 74 75 r36 JAPANESE COLOUR PRINTS. 76 81 91 W is 96 77 © 4f 82 87 92 I 78 ii- 83 € * 97 93 t 98 ft 79 ft* 84 89 '5# --94 * 80 8J tif 90 95 99 100 SIGNATURES. »37 ti 101 106 3 111 116 If * «• 102 107 I 112 4 117 121 122 fl 108 113 * 118 1* 4# J 104 10& 1 109 -it no 114 119 123 124 115 ff 125 i3» ¦* -1-26 131 136 141 *5- 127 4 132 f?'!l .. 137 t> P[ $ 142 JAPANESE- COLOUR PRINTS. y& .129 r 128 •£¦ 133 A 138 .# 143 4 446 -147 4; * T 148 t 134 41 139 * 144 149 130 * 135- I 140 *¥* 145 ^T* 150 SIGNATURES. 139 151 :2 156 161 ST 166 * 171 % 152 / 157 * 162 & 167 172 153 (1 158 163 '¦? "1 168 t 173 154 z "I % 159 l«f J. 169 X 155 160 Jr 165 170 174 #. 175 140 JAPANESE COLOUR PRINTS. 4 176 t 181 ft 186 191 4 ^ 177 182 * 187 m ^ 188 192 \-',xkx*A.A V\JJsZ>/~ 193 Jjaa/wX^ 179 i 184 f 189 !f 194 i 5T. 180 * 185 190 195 alt KEY TO REPRODUCTIONS OF SIGNATURES. Note. — The supplementary names are those in brackets ; that in larger type being the one by which the artist is generally known. Number of Number of Name. Facsimile. Name. Facsimile. ASHIHIRO I Hikokuni 25 ASHIKIYO - 2 HiROKUNI - - - - - HiRONOBU - - 26 Ashikuni - - - 3 27 Ashimaro - - - • 4 Hirosada 28 ASHITSURA -_ - 5 Hiroshige (I.) .... 29 Ashiyuki (Kegwado) - 6 Hiroshige (II. Ichiyosai) 30 Baikoku - 7 Hiroshige (II. Ichiryusai) 3i Baishu - - - 8 Hiroshige (II.) 32 B5getsu - - 9 Hokkei (Shunyosai) - - 33 Chikamar6 - - - - 10 Hokuba - - - 34 Chikanobu (Yoshu) - - ii Hokuba (Teisai) - - - 35 Choso - - 12 Hokucho (Shunshosai) 36 Fusatane (Isshosai) 13 Hokuga - - - 37 Gakutei (Yedo) - - 14 Hokui - - 38 Gakutei (" Year of the Hokujiu (Shotei) 39 Rabbit," with seal) - 15 Hokumyo (Sekkotei) 40 Gekko - - 16 (Hokusai) Shunro - 4i Geppo - 17 (Hokusai) Hishigawa Sori 42 Gokei (Yeishi's pupil) 18 (Hokusai) Katsushika Goshichi (Harukawa) *9 Taito 43 Gyodai 20 Hokusai Sori 44 Gyokuho 21 (Hokusai) Sakino Hokusai Hanzan (Kakio) 22 Tamekazu 45 Harunobu (Suzuki) 23 Hokusei, (Tohosai) - - 46 Hirokage 24 Hokushu (Shunkosai) - - 47 142 JAPANESE COLOUR PRINTS. Number of Number of Name. Facsimile. Name. Facsimile. Hokusui - - - - - 48 KUNIMARO - - - - 77 HOKUTSUI - - 49 Kunimaru 78 Hokuyei (Shunkosai - -' ,3° Kunimasa 79 K adzusad a. (Hishikawa) , _-. .51 Kunimasu ----- . — - 80 Kagetoshi (Gokotei's - -: Kunimitsu - - - 81 pupil) - 52 (Kunimori) Harumasa Kasetsu 53 Kochoyen - - - 82 (Keisai) Yeisen 54, Kuninao - - - 83 Keisei - 55 (Kunisada) Toyokuni II. Kikumaro 5^ (Kunisada, changed to) 84 Kiyoharu (Hishigawa) 57 (Kunisada) Toyokuni Kiyohiro - 58/ (Kachoro) - - - 85 KlYOKUNI - - - 59 Kunisada 86 Kiyomine (Torii) 60 Kunisada II. (Baichoro) - 87 Kiyomitsu (Torii) 61 Kunisato (Ryusen) 88 Kiyonaga - - 62 Kuniteru (Issensai) - - 89 Kiyonobu (Torii) - s 63 Kunitomi (Kwasentei) 90 Kiyosada - 64 Kunitsuna (Ichiransai)" - 9i Koruisai 65 Kunitsuru (Utagawa) 92 Koyen - 66 Kuniyasu - - 93 Kuniaki 07 Kuniyoshi (Ichiyusai) 94v I Kunichika - - - 68 'Kyonsai, ,- - - 95^ Kuniharu (Arashi Toku- Masanobu (Okumura) ,,- 96 saburo, changed to) 69 Moronobu (Hishikawa) -,~ 97 i Kunihiko 70 Munehiro - - -. - 98 ' Kunihiro - 7i Nmo - - -.,... ¦*99 Kunihisa I. 72 Nobuharu -: 100 Kunihisa II. 73 Ryusen 101 Kunikane (Ichihosai) - - -.74 Sadafusa j(Gokitei) - - - 102 Kunikazu ¦ i 75 Sadaharu (Hasegawa) - 103 Kunikiyo - , - 76 Sadahide (Gountei) 104 KEY TO REPRODUCTION OF SIGNATURES. 143 Number of Name, Facsimile, Sadahiro - - - - 105 Sadakage (Gokotei) - - 106 Sadamasu (Gochotei) - - 107 Sadanobu -(Hasegawa) - 108 Sadashige (Utagawa) - - 109 Sadatora (Gofiitei) - no Sadayoshi ¦ in Sadayuki - 112 Sencho (Seitotei) - 113 Sencho (Teisai) - - 114 Shibakuni - - 115 Shigefusa (Shigeharu's pupil) - - . - 116 Shigeharu (Ryusai) • - 117 Shigeharu (Gyokuryutei) 118 Shigemasa (Kitao) • 119 Shigenobu (Nishimura) - 120 Shigenobu (Ichiyusai) 121 Shiko -, ' - 122 Shinsai - 123 Shizan 124 Shuncho 125 Shunki - 126 Shunko 127 Shunkyo (Katsu) - 128 Shunman 129 Shunsei - 130 Shunsen 131 Shunshi (Seiyosai) 132 Shunsho 133 Shunsho (the same artist) 134 Name. Number of - Facsimile. Shunsho (pupil of Shun-- kosai) 135 Shunsui (Tamagawa) - - 136 Shuntei - - - - - - 137 Shuntei (Ryo) - 138 Shunyei - " - 139 Shunyo - - 140 Shunzan - .... 141 Tamekuni (Jiryosai) - - 142 Terushige (Katsukawa) 143 Tominobu (Kwasentei) 144 Tomiyuki -. - - 145 Tonan - - 146 Toshihide (by special order) .- 147 Toshikata - - 148 Toshinobu (Okumura) 149 Toshinobu (by special order) - 150 TdsHli 151 Toyoharu (Utagawa) - 152 Toyohide (Kitagawa) 153 Toyohiro - 154 Toyohisa - 155 Toyokuni (I.) - 156 Toyokuni (I.) - 157 Toyokuni (Gosotei) 158 Toyomasa (Ichikawa) 159 Toyonobu 160 Toyoshige (Toyokuni's son) 161 Tsukimaro (Bokutei) 162 144 JAPANESE COLOUR PRINTS. Number of Name. Facsimile, Umekuni (Jukyodo) - - 163 Utamaro 164 Utashige - - 165 Yeiri (Rekisentei) - - 166 Yeishi - - - 167 Yeisho 168 Yeizan, Kikugawa - 169 Yencho - - - 170 Yoshichika - 171 Yoshiharu .... 172 Yoshifuji (Ichiosai) - - 173 yoshikado 174 Yoshikata - 175 yoshikatsu i76 Yoshikazu ... - 177 Yoshikuni (Jukodo) 178 YOSHIMORI - - I79 Number of Name. Facsimile. YOSHIMUNE l80 YOSHISHIGE l8l Yoshitaki 182 Yoshitora (Kinchoro) - 183 Yoshitoshi - - - - 184 Yoshitoyo 185 Yoshitsugu (Sadayoshi's pupil) --- - 186 YOSHITSUNA - - - 187 YOSHITSURU --- - 188 Yoshitsuya (Ichiyeisai) - 189 YOSHIYUKI - - - I90 Gwa — painted - - - 191 Fude — painted with brush 192 Dzu — composed - - 193 . Utsusu — copied - 194 . By special order - 195 INDEX TO NAMES OF ARTISTS. Ashihiro Ashikiyo AshikuniAshimaro AshiyukiBokusen 66, Fujinobu Gakutei Gekko, Ogata GokeiGoshichi . '-', i-'f, fc/w. - HanamaroHanzan - HarunobuHarunobu II. HarushigeHarutsugu Hiehizemon Hidekuni HidemaroHirosada 6767 67 676762 Chikamaro 77, 96 Chikamaru 77 Chikanobu 77 Chikashige 77 Chincho, Hanekawa 11 Choki 33 19 100 80 35 103 10> 32 104 16 191919 48 6932 66 Hiroshige I. Hiroshige II.- Hiroshige III. Hokkei Hokuba, Teisai Hokucho HokugaHoku-iHokuju - HokumyoHokusai 50, 64, 82, Hokusai (counterfeits) - HokuseiHokushiuHokusui HokuteiHokutsiuHoku-un HokuyeiHosaiIchiro, Yashima Isai, Katsushika Isomaro- Kagetoshi Kikumaro I. - Kikumaro II. KitamaroKiyofusa Kiyoharu Kiyohiro Kiyohisa 62, - 84 86 86 61, 93, 101 61, 103 69 62, 103 69, 126 69, 93 69, 103 83, 100, 119 70 6968 9462696268 96 96 623266 32 32 32 1411 14 11 11, 7618. K 146 JAPANESE COLOUR PRINTS. Kiyokuni 14 Kunitera 48 Kiyomasu 11 Kuniteru 48, 96 Kiyomine li, S2 Kunitoki 48 Kiyomitsu I. 12 Kunitsugu 48 Kiyomitsu II. 14 Kunitsuna 48, 96 Kiyomitsu III. 14 Kuniyasu 47, 95 Kiyonaga 12, 82, 113 Kuniyoshi 44, 95 Kiyonobu 10 Kuniyuki 48 Kiyonobu, Kondo 11 Kwaigetsuc 0 Yasutomo 10 Kiyosada 14 Kyokata 77 Kiyoshige 11 Kyosai 77 Kiyotada 11 Kiyotomo 11 Ki3'otsn-.ie 12 Kuriusai 17, 81, 99 Masanobu, Okumura 11 Kunichika - "^ 1 48 Masanobu, Kitao 20 Kunifusa 48 Masayoshi, Keisai Kitao 21 Kunihiko 48 Masunobu 19 Kunihiro 66 Matabei, artists named 5 Kunihisa II, 7 -5 Matahei, artists named 5 Kunihisa- jo-Utagawa 76 Michimaro 32 Kunikane 48 Morofusa 10 Kunikatsu 48 Moromasa 10 Kunimaru 47 Moronaga 10 Kunimasa I. - 46 Moronobu 9 Kunimasa II. 46 Moroshige 10 Kunimasa III. 75 Mosai 76 Kunimitsu I. 47 Muranobu 19 Kunimitsu II. 48 Kunimori 68 Kunimune 48 Kuninaga 46 Nagakuni 69 Kuninao 47, 92 Nagashige 69 Kuninobu 48 Niho 104 Kunisada I. 41, 64, 104 Nobuhiro 66, 69 Kunisada II. 75 Kunitada 48 Kunitaka 48 Kunitaki 48 Ryusen, Ichikawa 10 Kunitane 48 Ryushu 10 INDEX TO NAMES OF ARTISTS. 147 Sahuro, Kameyo 70 .Shunsensai 25 Sadafusa • 66 Shunshi, Gakoten- 67 Sadahide - 75, 94 Shunshi, Seiyosai - 67 Sadahiro 66 Shunsho, Katsugawa -23 64, 81, 99 Sadakage 66, 104 Shunsho, III., (5"saka) - 67 Sadamasa 66 Shunsho, Horai 67 Sadamasu 66 Shunsui I. ¦a Sadanobu 66, 94 Shunsui, II. 25 Sadashige 48 Shuntei 26 Sadatsugu 66 Shuntei, Miyagawa - 80 Sada-uta 76 Shuntoku 25 Sadayoshi 67 Shunyei 25, 64 Seiyo 96 Shunyen 25 Sencho, Teisai 74- Shunyo, Kintaro 67 Sharaku 49 Shunzan 26, 82 Shiba Kokan 19 Shunzo - 25 Shibakuni 69 Shuyei y 6-7, 69 Shigeharu 66 Soraku 35 Shigemasa, Kitao 20 Shigemasa, Kitao, III. 32 Taito II. 70 Shigenaga, Nishimura 12 Terushige 11 Shigenobu, Nishimura IM Tominobu, Kwasentei 74 Shikimaro 32 Toshihide, Gosai SO Shiko 33 Toshikata SO Shinsai 61, 103 Toshimaro 32 Shiro 11 Toshinobu, Okumura 12 Sho-i, artists named 6 Toyoharu, Utagawa 22 Shuncho 27 Toyohide, Kitagawa 69 Shuncho II (Osaka) 67 Toyohiro 48, 82 Shundo -- 25 Toyohisa 48 Shun-en 25 Toyokuni I. 37, 64, 82, 99 Shungyoku 25 Toyokuni II.- ?¦ 42 Shunki 25 Toyokuni III. 48 Shunko I. 24 Toyokuni, Gosotei 40, 92 Shunko II. 26, 74 Toyomaru 48 Shunkwaku 25 Toyomasa 22 Shunkyo 25 Toyonobu, Ishikawa 22 Shunman 21, 99 Toyonobu, Utagawa 22 Shimrhi 25 Toyoshige 41 Shunsen 26, 74 Tsukimaro 32 148 JAPANESE COLOUR PRINTS. Umekuni 66 Yoshitsuna 77 Utamaro I. 28, 38, 83, 99 Yoshitsuru 77 Utamaro II. 32 Yoshitsuya - 76, 96 Utimasa 19 Yoshiyuki 95 Yeicho - Yeiju 3535 Yoshichika 77 Yeiki 35 Yoshifuji 76 Yencho - 96 Yoshiharu 77 Yeiri - 35 Yosbikage "- 76 Yeiri, Kekisentei - 35 Yoshikazu 77, 95 Yeisen, Keisai 71, 91, 104 Yoshikuni 69, 77 Yeisen, Tomioka - 80 Yoshimaro 32 Yeishi ' 33 Yoshimori 77 Yeishin - - 35 Yoshimune 77, 96 Yeisho 35 Yoshinobu, Komai 19 Yeisho, Shokosai 35 Yoshitaki 77, 96 Yeisui 35 Yoshitora 76, 95 Yeizan 35 Yoshitoshi 76, 96 Yukimaro - 32 PLATE II. v---:>c-sv.v,c *£ ; - -- 7Zf-''7.tS. -~--5JS*— rti^-e^tfj ¦•¦:'•- ?6i8. L 2 PLA'IE III. Gakutei. — A courtesan with emblems of the Taoist Sage, Gama Sennin. Surimono. PLAIE IV. Gekko. — A garden of sweet flags. ¦PLATE V> Gokei.— Komurasaki of the Yoshiwara with a companion and lover on New Year's Day. PLATE VI Goshichi. — Beauty of the Yoshiwara in time of Cherry-blossom. Surimono. PLATE Vix. < PLATE I. % J? » ; Buncho Ippitsusai. — Portrait of Tamagiku at Nakamanjiya, with a view of the River at Mimeguri. 7618. L PLATE VIII. Harunobu. — Making a snow dog. PLATE IX. Hai:unobu.— Woman of the Yoshiwara and attendants. 7618. M '•ar-t HlROSADA. — Theatrical Scene. Munemori, Kiyomori and Tokiwa-no-Mai. El Hiroshige I. — Lake Biwa. Tbe Autumn Moon fromjshiyama. £ £- Hiroshige I.— The Shinto Temple of Massaki, Yedo, in snow. PLATE XIII. MMM^ HIROSHIGE I. — Specimen-sheet made for a dealer in shell work. PLATE XlVt ^y^ym*:,v *"&*&% mSM ,,,i,i'"' Hiroshige II. —Eagle and Snow. From the Hundred Views of Yedo. Hiroshige II.— Illustration to the Story of Prince Genji. PLATE XVI. a 01 ffl C 23 j o PLATE XVII. Hokkei.— Feeding a "Yen Ryo" or Palt Dragon. Svrimono, 76i8. N Hokkei. — Inasayama at the entrance to the harbour of Nagasaki, with a European ship saluting. H- Hokuju, Shotei. — The Saru-bashi (Monkey-bridge) in Koshu Province. fe.&3 Hokusai Shunro. — Seiobo with attendants receiving offerings of fruit. fe-I. Hoktjsai.— Ladies gathering fungi. PLATE XXll. Hokusai. — Surimono of Yedo customs. A Geisha. Dated a.d. 1800. Im 5 I*/ Hokusai. — Fisherman at Koshiu Ishika/ta. PLATE XXIV. '"/-.:.- B5*»^ 1 '¦ "wi y.--- "fBri .. 1 Bn. v*a ::- SBfl Vfcw ¦ j ¦ 1 ; ^^ j ! Hokusai.— Carp. PLAIE XXV. HOKUYEI. — Actor in character. 7618. PLATE XXVI. Kikumaro. — Portrait of Ainare engaged in the Tea Ceremony. 7618. o 2 PLATE XXVII. Kiyomine.— Woman playing the Tsuzunii. PLATE XXVII I. KrvnMiT.su II. (Kiyomine).— Singing Girl. PLATE XXIX. Kiyomitsu I. — The Actor Bando Hikosaburo in character. PLATE XXX. KlYONAdA. — Portrait of Segawa, a famous beauty. PLATE XXXI. f mi ^u^mmmmm Kiyonobu (Tqrii).— Two.Lovers. PLATE XXXII. Koriusaj, — Sunlight, pine-trees, and cranes. PLA TE XXXIII. Koriusai. — Crow and Heron, typifying the contrast between black and white. 7618. P PLATE XXXIV. Koriusai. — Portrait of Hanaogi, a famous beauty. 7618. PLATE XXX\ . Kunihisa.— The actor Bando Mitsugoro. Plate xxxvi. Kunimasa. —The actors Sawamura Sojiuro and Segawa Kikusaburo in character. PLATE XXXV It. Az Kuninao.— A Singing Girl. PLATE XXXVIII. mm Kunisada. — Portrait of Komurasaki, a famous beauty. PLATE XXXIX. Kunisada, — One of the views of the Tokaido, PLATE XL. Kunisada II. (Kunimasa). — The spirit of a waterfall. PLATE XLI. KUNIYOSHI. — One of the Hundred-and-Eight Chinese Heroes. 7?6i8. Q PLAIE XLII. '¦•yhy^'A-'hAJj > hwA-mr^s^J I >JJ W/y^M:' 01 yy^^^m^vy ' 3 i; ^ilf ¦ w r KUNIYOSHI. — Design for a colonr-orint (from an original drawing). 7618. Q 2 PLATE XLIII. KYOSAI, Shojo. — Hotei wading through the sea with three children in his pack. PLATE XLIV. Masanobu, Okumura.— Geisha in Spring-time. 5 fe.189 NlHO. — Landscape in snow. Surimono. fe, ft Sadanobu. — Wild geese, alighting at Katada. PLATE XLVII. SADANOBU. — The actor Nakamura Utayemon dressing for the part of Kono Moronao. PLATE XLVIII. Sencho, Teisai.— Yoshiwara Woman. PLATE XLIX. Shigeharu, Ryusai.— The Actor Nakamura Utayemon performing the Lion Dancp. 76j8. r PLATE L. Shigenobu. — Yoshiwara Woman. 7618. PLATE LI. I Shiko.— Geisha. PLATE LII. Shinsai. — Yebisu on a big "Tai" fish. Surimono. PLATE Lilt. Shuncho. — Theatrical scene. PLAIE LIV. Shuncho.— Portrait of Hanaogi, a famous beauty. PLATE LV. Shunko.— A Dance. PLATE LVI. Shunkyo.— Yoshiwara Woman. PLATE LVII. Shunsen. — Portiait of Hanaogi, a famous beauty. 7618. PLAIE LVIII. Shunsho. — A Dance. 7618. PLATE LIX. Shunsho. — Women rearing silkworms. PLATE LX. Shunsui.— Atsumori and Kuniagai. PLATE LXI. SHUNYEI. — Asahina Saburo wrestling with Soga Goro. PLATE LXII. Shunzan. — Scene outside the Temple of Asakusa. Terushige. — Couple warming themselves under a Kotatsu. i y^ $ Toshikata.— Feeding carp in time of wistaria blossom. PLATE LXV. Toshinobu, Okumura.— Traveller led by a woman as a guide. 7618. PLATE LXVI. Toyoharu. — The arrest of Marubashi Chiuya. 7618. PLATE LXVII. Toyohiro.— A view of the Tamagawa. PLATE LXVIII. Toyohisa. — Portrait of Somekawa in Matsubaya, PLATE LXIX. feiiiSssfi^ .GfWv- wsmmm Ammmmmm TOYOKUNI I. — A noble youth with female attendants visiting a temple. PLATE LXX. TOYOKUNI I.— Iwai Kumisaburo in the part of the murderess Ko-iime, wife of Ume-no-Yoshibei. PLATE LXXI. TOYOKUNI I.— Theatrical scene. Totoki Denshichi fighting with his fn.t-.hnr'R murderer. *K '& "aN fe.-"~> s s•-I Toyokunt (Gosotei).— The Tamagawa River by moonlight. PLATE LXXIII. Toyoshige (Gosotei Toyokuni).— The actor Iwai Kumesaburo in a female part. 7618. u PLATE LXXIV. Toyomasa, Ishikawa.— Children playing the game of the eighth month. 7618. " 2 PLATE LXXV. .#¦•'«• jrw,!«'.-.;.. — .--- — — — — -¦ Utamaro. — Women after a bath. PLATE LXXVI Utamaro.— Portrait of Yoso-oi of Matsubaya house, a famous beauty. PLATE LXXVII. Utamaro. — Women making colour prints. PLATE LXXVIII. YEIRI.— The house of a noble with ladies looking through a screen. haH fe.Im Yeisen, Keisai. — Fishing with cormorants on the Nagara river at Mino. PLATE LXXX. YEISEN, Keisai.— A beauty of the Yoshiwara, PLATE LXXXI. Yeishi. — Scene from the Story of Prince Genji, represented by women. 7618. X PLAIE L XXXIL YEISHO.— Portrait of Yoso-oi of Matsabaya house, a famous beauty. PLATE LXXXTII. Yeizan. — Geisha on a balcony. PLATE LXXXIV. YOSHIYUKI. — View near Osaka.