About This Print
From an album of twelve prints, this print, one of eight collotype prints in the album, depicts a scene from Nozakimura, a frequently staged section of the play Shinpan utazaimon written by Chikamatsu Hanji (1725-1783), et. al. for the puppet theater in 1780 and later staged for kabuki. The play's theme is that of a love triangle involving Osome, the daughter of the owner of an aburaya (oil store); Hisamatsu, an apprentice working in the aburaya, and Omitsu, the daughter of the farmer Kyūsaku living in Nozakimura.Kyūsaku has decided to have Hisamatsu marry his daughter Omitsu. Osome, who is in love with Hisamatsu, visits Kyūsaku's home on the day of the marriage ceremony for Omitsu and Hisamatsu. Omitsu is at first jealous of Osome and Hisamatsu, but after she learns that they are prepared to commit double suicide because their love for each other is so strong, Omitsu resigns herself to losing Hisamatsu, and cuts off her hair, indicating that she will become a nun.
In the print's scene Osome's mother Otsune is seen leading her daughter to the boat that will take them home. Otsune holds a sprig of plum blossoms, harbinger of spring, given to her by Kyūsaku.
This is the one collotype print in the collection for which I've been able to locate an extant original work for, as shown below.
Nozakimura, 1913
On display at the National Theater ( 国立劇場 Kokuritsugekijō)
Exhibited at the 7th Bunten in 1913
The Artist's Notes
The album includes explanations in Japanese by Kiyokata about his intentions and drawing techniques for each of the prints. His notes on this print are reproduced below.
click on images to enlarge
About the Album of Beauties by Kiyokata 清方美人画譜, 1914
This album of twelve small prints, four woodblock prints and eight three-color collotypes, was issued in May 1914 by Nihon Bijutsu Gakuin 日本美術学院, the correspondence fine arts school founded by the novelist Taguchi Kikutei (1875-1943) (the pen name of Taguchi Kyōjirō), and for which Kiyokata taught.
For detailed information on the album see this collection's print Dormitory in Spring Rain from the Album of Beauties by Kyokata.
| IHL Catalog | #1819 | |||
| Title or Description |  野崎村 | |||
| Series | Album of Beauties by Kiyokata 清方美人画譜 Kiyokata bijin gafu | |||
| Artist | Kaburaki Kiyokata (1878-1972) | |||
| Signature |  | |||
| Seal | unreadable artist's seal (see above) | |||
| Publication Date |  Published May 5, 1914 大正三年五月五日發行 [as shown in the colophon to the album] | |||
| Edition | first and only | |||
| Publisher |
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| Printer |
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| Impression | excellent | |||
| Colors | excellent | |||
| Condition | excellent | |||
| Miscellaneous | | |||
| Genre | fukusei hanga | |||
| Format | chuban | |||
| H x W Paper | 8 x 5 1/8 in. (20.3 x 13 cm) | |||
| H x W Image | 7 13/16 x 4 13/16 in. (19.8 x 12.2 cm) | |||
| Collections This Print | Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery S2003.8.400 and FSC-GR-780.134; British Museum 1991,0805,0.18; National Diet Library Call No. 109-280 | |||
| Reference Literature |
copied from colophon
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