Woodblock print

[Anthony416]

Hi guys,

I have this old woodblock print that I picked up at an auction about 20 years ago. I have searched several books to try and find out who/what/when but no luck. I could only find that it was "commissioned by" so it may have been a special order.

 

Also on the left seems to be a date of Meiji 18 which I worked out as 1886 (I think) but would this be the publish date or the date the scene depicts?

 

There is a nice scene in it where one guy is showing the other his sword

 

Any advice or assistance appreciated,

Thanks and regards

Anthony

[Bugyotsuji]

Yes, that is the date of publishing. The artist's name is probably that one in the white cartouche, bottom left, (Pic 3).　Once you get the first Kanji, the name should be traceable.

[Bugyotsuji]

Have you tried

足立吟光　Adachi Ginko

?

[Anthony416]

I think thats him ! Seems he used a few different kanji to sign his name, apparently this one is read Oju Ginko but seems that is a rare version. Looks like he did heaps of work so value must be down a bit.........

 

Thanks a lot, the prints I have consist of 2 pictures per frame and I have not seen that style from him on the internet so there may be still hope it is a rare (valuable) version. Hoping to sell them to save some coin for sword purchase..... :D

Any additional information also appreciated,

Cheers

Anthony

[Bugyotsuji]

Good luck in your hunt, and let us know what you find out. Every time I find an old Ukiyo-e in a market somewhere I hit the books and learn something new. The fun is in the sleuthing!

[Bugyotsuji]

PS This look familiar?

http://www.artelino.com/archive/artist_ ... 20artelino

[Anthony416]

Well done ! Yes, there it is )

 

Now that I know the series (Zenaku ko no Tegashiwa) I should be able to find more. I did find a few more examples but they all seem to have been cut to 9" x 7" (unless they originally printed in this small format) where I have two larger sheets that contain two 9" x 7" picutres on each sheet (seems to be originally published in this format and not stuck together afterwards). Please see extra pics to see what I mean).

 

Thanks for all your help, I have struggled with kanji books/woodblock books for a while and made no progress, but now feel I am getting somewhere !

 

Cheers, Anthony

[Bugyotsuji]

Just guessing here, but if you fold the double one so the two pics come towards each other, you might have two pages and the beginnings of an illustrated book. The book may have been designed to have the prints in half size?

[k morita]

Hi Anthony416 ,

 

#4328jpg,pic is a scene in the following story(historical fact).

Two persons of this wood print are Harada Naonori(Harada Kai) and Data Muneshige(old man).

 

The Date Sōdō (伊達騒動), or Date Disturbance, was a noble family dispute within the Date samurai clan, which occurred in 1671.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Date_S%C5%8Dd%C5%8D