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UTAMARO, Kitagawa (1753 - 1806)

Seiro Ehon Nenju-gyoji 'Yoshiwara picture book: Annals of the Green Houses'

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COLOPHON DETAILS: ARTIST'S SIGNATURE: Edo eshi Kitagawa sha / Murasakiya Uta-maro hitsu / kogo monjin Kikumaro, Hidemaro, Takemaro, Uta-maro, Minamoto-shi ARTIST'S SEAL: Uta-maro, Minamoto-shi BLOCK CARVER: Fuji Kazumune PRINTER: Jakushodo Toemon DATE OF PUBLICATION: Spring, 1804 PUBLISHER: Kazusaya Chusuke juo TEXT BY: Jippensha Ikku COLLATION: 2 volumes; complete; original covers, blue, embossed with lanterns bearing the crests of high- ranked courtesans. Printed: "Seiro ehon Nenju gyo-ji kan / kon", on buff slips pasted in top left corners of covers VOL. I: 27 leaves; 1 single title p. inside front cover, 4 single pp. of preface, 4 single pp. of notes, 1 single p. opening ill., 2 single pp. of contents, 10 double p. ills., 23 single pp. of text. VOL. II: 22 leaves; 1 single p. opening ill., 9 double p. ills., 22 single pp. of text, 2 single pp. advertising a sequel, 1 single p. of publisher's colophon (see above).

Nenju-gyoji, one of Utamaro's famous illustrated books has been discussed in all major reference works of the last one hundred years, more recently by Shugo Asano and Timothy Clark, in their beautiful catalog published on the occasion of the extensive Utamaro exhibition held at the Bristish Museum and the Chiba City Museum of Art, in 1995. On the next page you will find the illustrations of both volumes of Nenju-gyoji, with translations of the page titles, pls. click on the button at lower right.

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