Utagawa Kunisada (歌川国貞) / Toyokuni III (三代豊国) (artist 1786 – 01/12/1865)
A Rustic Genji triptych - 'The Fragrance of Spring Brings Koto Music' Kō ni sasou Haru no tsumeoto - 香誘春爪音)
1849
Signed: Kōchōrō Toyokuni ga
香蝶楼豊国画 on outer panels
Ichiyōsai Toyokuni ga
一陽斎豊国画 in the center
Artist's seal: toshidama
Publisher: Tsutaya Kichizō (Marks 556 - seal 03-004)
Censors: Hama and Magome
Tokyo Metropolitan Library
Pushkin Museum
Chazen Museum of Art
Museum für angewandte Kunst, Vienna - right hand panel
Museum für angewandte Kunst, Vienna - center panel
Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art - the center panel only
Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art - the left-hand panel only There is another copy of this composition in the Achenbach Foundation. It gives a transcription of the kanji title of this triptych as 'Ka ni sasou haru no tsumeoto'. The Tokyo Metropolitan Library gives it as 'Kō ni sasou Haru no tsumeoto' which only involves a different reading of the first character.
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We know that there were at least three editions of this triptych. This is information that can be gleaned from a comparison of variants of panels from this triptych. See the images we have added below the example shown from the Lyon Collection.
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The clearest reference to it being springtime is the flowering plum (ume) tree seen through the open doorway on the right and in the background of the center panel.
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The Genji references within this triptych appear in at least two places: on the robe of the standing woman and on the sliding screen seen behind her.
Tsutaya Kichizō (蔦屋吉蔵) (publisher)
Genji related prints (Genji-e - 源氏絵) (genre)