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JAPANESE PRINTS
A MILLION QUESTIONS
TWO MILLION MYSTERIES |
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Ukiyo-e Prints
浮世絵版画
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Port Townsend, Washington |
UTAGAWA
TOYOKUNI III
三代歌川豊国
さんだい.うたがわ.とよくに
1786-1865 |
SUBJECT: Shoki astride
a lion |
DATE: 1854, 5th Month
Ansei 1
安政1 |
PUBLISHER: Kiyasojiro
木屋宗次郎
きやそうじろう |
SIGNATURE: Hanabusa
Itchō [something] Toyokuni hitsu
英一蝶(?)豊国筆
はなぶさいちょう(?)とよくにひつ |
SIZE: 14
1/2"
X 9 3/4" |
SOLD!
THANKS! |
I
want to thank our correspondent E for assisting me with this page. |
HANABUSA ITCHŌ (1652-1724)
and the
KUNISADA CONNECTION |
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When Toyokuni I died in 1825 Kunisada was miffed that he was not given
the honor of receiving his master's name. Instead Toyoshige, Toyokuni's
son-in-law, became his successor and began calling himself Toyokuni II.
Kunisada refused to recognize this change. He was convinced that he was far
more worthy of the name. In fact, many years later he tried to usurp the
name of Toyokuni II and was not discouraged in this by his family and
friends. They even continued to refer to him that way after his death
although you and I know him as Toyokuni III.(1)
Toyoshige was not a bad artist, but the general consensus is that
Kunisada was much better. Sebastian Izzard noted Kunisada's displeasure at
the events surrounding Toyokuni I's death. "Disappointed at being passed
over, Kunisada evidently decided to try something new. He began to study
painting under Hanabusa Ikkei (1749-1844), fourth-generation head of the
Hanabusa school. The name Kōchōrō, which Kunisada introduced into his
signature in 1825, takes the character chō (butterfly) from Itchō,
the name of the founder of he Hanabusa school."(2) |
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Kunisada rarely invoked the name of
Hanabusa Itchō in any of his signatures. In fact, as far as I can tell, this
particular example may be unique. As yet the fourth kanji character remains
unidentified. It does not seem to appear in any other "Hanabusa Itchō"
Kunisada signature examples. |
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1. Kunisada's World, Sebastian Izzard, Japan Society, Inc., in
collaboration with the Ukiyo-e Society of America, 1993, pp. 35-6.
2. Ibid., p. 127, cat. #59. |
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