Utagawa Toyokuni I (初代歌川豊国) (artist 1769 – 02/24/1825)
2 beautiful girls and a monkey dressed up for a New Year's celebration.
ca 1800
9.75 in x 14.5 in (Overall dimensions) Japanese color woodblock print
Signed: Toyokuni ga (豊国画)
Publisher: Nishimuraya Yohachi
(Marks 391 - seal 23-016)
Censor's seal: kiwame
Muzeum Sztuki i Techniki Japońskiej Manggha, Krakow
Los Angeles County Museum
British Museum This charming print is actually one panel of a pentaptych. The Manggha Centre of Japanese Art and Technology, Krakow has all five panels.
The decoration in the white reserve on the deep red robe of the kneeling woman is the same as the sculpted paper design used atop a saké bottle at New Year's. There are two bottles, one with a paper stopper made to represent a female butterfly and the other a male butterfly. It is unclear which sex is represented by this robe's decorative motif. However, this may help identify more precisely why these women and the monkey are dressed as they are. The corded bases of the pine branch decorations are another New Year's motif which strengthens this argument.
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In 1796 the government banned the names of beautiful woman from being printed along with their images on prints unless they were known prostitutes of the Yoshiwara or prominent geisha. Perhaps that is why their names do not appear here.
Nishimuraya Yohachi (西村屋与八) (publisher)
beautiful woman picture (bijin-ga - 美人画) (genre)