Harubaru Tōkyō e dete, sanzan ni oya no/ kane o tsukattao-kage de mazu wa shubi yoku/ hōtōgaku o sotsugyō, kokyō e no o-miyage wa tadaō-bo/ra to namaiki bakari. Aru hi enzetsu-kai o hiraku to/ fureta, kinjo norōnyakunannyo wa deroren-saibun demo/ kiku ki de tsumekaketa. Sensei wa dai notokui-/gao, Hikagemachi shire no yōfuku de nyū/ tto endan e arawareta. En “Ēchōshū sho/kun yo.” Kō “Hei.” Otsu “Hā.” Hei “Nan de gasu.” En “Kore wa ikanshokun wa mada wareware no gotoki gakushi/ hakase tō no enzetsu o kiitaru kotoga nai to miete ichiichi henji o/ suru to wa hanahada shikkei to iwazaru o ezudesu. Shokun/ yoroshiku kinchō shitamae.” Kō “Namiamidabutsu namiamidabutsu.”En/ “Nenbutsu o tonaete wa nao komaru ja nai ka. Damatte kikitamae/ damatte, ēmandō shokun yo boku ga kyō koko ni oite desu/ ichijō no enzetsu o nasan to hossurutokoro no mono wa desu, sunawachi/ ?Naichi zakkyo no junbi ikan` to iu noichidai de aru.“ Otsu „Sō desu.“ En „Shokun `Naichi zakkyo`wa/ mohaya ganzen nisashisematte iru ni kakawarazu.“ Hei „Desu kara ni desu desu.” En “Kore washikkei desu./ Boku no enzetsu o gurō suru to wa shikkei desu. Boku no/ enzetsuo gurō suru kurai nara/ chotto koko e kite yatte mitamae. Nakanaka enzetsu gadekiru/ mono de wa nai desu.“ Kō „Kimi ga sō okoru kurai nara chotto/ koko ekite kiite mitamae nakanaka kikareta mono de wa/ nai desu.“

Fit to Print: The Dawn of Journalism in Japanese Woodblock Prints

from the Lavenberg and Michels Collections

Jordan Schnitzer Museum of Art, University of Oregon

July 2021

This installation features more than 30 loans from two remarkably rich local resources, the Lavenberg Collection of Japanese Prints, and the Lee & Mary Jean Michels Collection. It was co-curated by Professors Akiko Walley (History of Art and Architecture) and Glynne Walley (East Asian Languages and Literatures) and JSMA Chief Curator Anne Rose Kitagawa. QR codes on selected labels allow visitors to access translations and explanations of the complex wordplay, imagery, and cultural context of these fascinating objects.

https://jsma.uoregon.edu/FittoPrint

KOBAYASHIKiyochika (小林清親,1847-1915) Japanese;Meiji period, 1897 “To” (と), from theseries ABCs of Educational Lectures (Kyōikuiroha tango) Ukiyo-e woodblock-print in vertical ōban format; ink and color on paper TheLavenberg Collection of Japanese Prints, IHL.0762

Notes:

A collaboration between Kobayashi Kiyochika (1847-1915) and the writer Nishimori Takeki (also known as KoppiDōjin; 1861-1913).Toward the end of the nineteenth century, Kiyochikaand Nishimori were colleagues working for a satirical journal, Marumaruchinbun (Blue Pencil News of the Weird; on view in the adjacentgallery). Kiyochika produced cartoons for Marumaru chinbun from 1882 to1894. This series is thought to be the last collaborative print project betweenKiyochika and Nishimura. The conceit of this series is a spoof on the ImperialRescript on Education (Kyōiku chokugo) issued in 1890 to boost moralityby reminding people of Confucian and Shinto values. Each print entertains adouble-border cartouche imitating the format of cards used in the popularpoem-picture card-matching game using Japanese syllables. This print representsthe syllable “to” (と) withthe saying, “Tori naki sato ni kōmori,” which is roughlyequivalent to “In the Land of the Blind, the One-Eyed Man is King,” but moreliterally, “Bats in the Land with No Birds.” It satirizes the no-good son of awealthy provincial family returning from his “Grand Tour” of Tokyo. The“busker” in the original is more specifically, deroren saimon, or“trumpet shell prayer.” The mention of “derorensaimon” is a pun on the phrase “hora o fuku” (to toot on one’strumpet shell), meaning to “boast” or “tell tall tales.” Deroren was a type of street performance popular during the lateEdo (1615-1868) and Meiji (1868-1912) periods. A performer told vendettastories in a distinct rhythmic phrasing, blowing the trumpet shellintermittently uttering the nonsensical word “deroren” to retain audience’s attention.

(Akiko Walley, Maud I. Kerns Associate Professor of JapaneseArt, History of Art andArchitecture)

Translationof text on print:

ABCs of Educational Lectures: To (と)

Tori naki

Sato no kōmori

Koppi Dōjin

Having gone all the way to Tokyo and used up all hisparents’ money he has now graduated with a degree in Prodigality, and so hereturns home, bearing nothing but boasts and insolence as gifts. One day helets it be known that he will be giving a Speech, and so everyone in theneighborhood crowds in, old and young, male and female, as they would for anybusker. Looking mightily pleased with himself in his Western suit, acquiredfrom a thrift shop, the Professor saunters up to the lectern.