JAPANESE PRINTS

A MILLION QUESTIONS

TWO MILLION MYSTERIES

 

 

Ukiyo-e Prints

浮世絵版画

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

 

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)

 

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.

 

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.

 

 

HOME