Kikuchi Keigetsu (菊池契月) (artist 1879 – 1955)
The heroine Koharu from the series The Complete works of Chikamatsu (Dai Chikamatsu zenshu: 'Shinju ten no amijima' no Koharu)
1922
11.375 in x 17 in (Overall dimensions) Japanese woodblock print
Signed: Keigetsu (桂月)
Carver: Yamagishi Kazue (山岸主計)
Printer: Nishimura Kumakichi (西村熊吉)
Waseda University
Honolulu Museum of Art "Her face and hands printed with white lead (or some other pigment which tends to oxidize), and embellished with fine silver mica on her obi, the sheer bow in her hair, the scattered leaf-pattern on her collar, and the metal tip of the pipe; signed Keigetsu, carved by Yamagishi Kazue (1893-1985), and printed by Nishimura Kumakichi, published by Dai Chikamatsu Zenshu Kankokai in April 1922
This is the first print from a collaborative series of 18 prints depicting famous roles from plays written by Chikamatsu Monzaemon (1653-1725) which were published to accompany a set of 16 volumes of his work that were issued on a monthly basis starting in April 1922.
This information is quoted directly from Scholten Japanese Art.
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Koharu and Kamiya Jihei (紙屋治兵衛) are in love. The National Theater of Japan gives this summary centered on Jihei: "Jihei is a merchant who runs a paper store in Osaka. Although he has a wife and children, he is focused on his lover, the courtesan Koharu, and his family worries about him. Koharu separates from Jihei at the request of his wife Osan, and Osan raises the money to buy Koharu’s freedom. The efforts of these two loyal women who have devoted their hearts to Jihei are in vain; in the end, Jihei is a representative Kyoto and Osaka wagoto (soft) style character who commits double suicide with Koharu. One highlight is the scene in which he appears in a striped kimono with a hand towel tied over his head, having lost his spirit thinking of Koharu."
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There is another copy of this print in the collection of the Museum Rietberg.
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Illustrated in color in The Female Image: 20th century prints of Japanese beauties, Abe Publisher, 2000, #121, p. 94.
modern prints (shin hanga - 新版画) (genre)
beautiful woman picture (bijin-ga - 美人画) (genre)
Yamagishi Kazue (山岸主計) (carver)
Taishō era (大正時代) (genre)
Shinju Ten no Amijima ('The Love Suicide at Amijima'- 心中天網島) (author)
Chikamatsu Monzaemon (近松門左衛門) (author)