Utagawa Kuniyoshi (歌川国芳) (artist 11/15/1797 – 03/05/1861)
"Zazenmame" from the series Daruma's buffonery (Dōke Daruma asobi - 道化達磨あそび?)
03/1847
24.7 cm x 36 cm (Overall dimensions) color woodblock print
Signed: Ichiyūsai Kuniyoshi ga
一勇斎国芳画
Artist's seal: kiri
Publisher: Okaei (Marks U250 - seal 25-096)
Censor seals: Yoshimura and Muramatsu
Actors caricatured as Daruma (rare). After the imposition of a ban on actor prints in 1842, Kuniyoshi produced numerous humorous designs with thinly disguised actors’ portraits. In this series, well known actors are portrayed as Daruma, without any mention of their names. This series is listed as number 191 in Kuniyoshi by Basil William Robinson (Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 1961).
Marks says that this publisher's seal only appeared in 1849.
Actors Ichimura Uzaemon XII (right), Ichikawa Danjūrō VIII (center) and Onoe Kikujirō II (left)
****
According to the University of Vienna the text reads:
hōsō yoke naru / daruma no nayose / amata daruma no sono naka de / iji no kitanai gesu na daruma wa soba to udon o kuinigete ore ni o-ashi ga aru mono ka yabureta kabe o / niran de wa / sue nya satori hiraite / isshū hirometa / zazen-mame meshi no sai
Fending off the pox****
Protection through Daruma
character is bad and Daruma is a vulgar guy
the soba and udon are skipping the tab
staring at the dirty wall
to reach enlightenment
spreading the one teaching
zazen beans
side dish to a rice meal
The zazen (座禅) of the title refers to a seated Zen meditation pose.
actor prints (yakusha-e - 役者絵) (genre)
Ichikawa Danjūrō VIII (八代目市川団十郎: 3/1832 - 6/8/1854) (actor)
Onoe Kikujirō II (二代目尾上菊次郎: 11/1835 to 12/1856 and 1858 to June 1875) (actor)
Ichimura Uzaemon XII (十二代目市村羽左衛門: 11/1821 to 12/1850) (actor)
Okaei (岡栄) (publisher)
Daruma or Bodhidharma (達磨) (role)
comic prints (giga - 戯画 / kyōga - 狂画) (genre)