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Re: Re: Surimono Prints

Posted By: Guy Pepermans
Posted Date: Oct 28, 2009 (01:59 PM)

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Hi David,

Wow! These are very interesting items!

The first surimono signed "Keisai" is by Keisai Eisen (1791-1848) depicting a Niwaka female dancer (a Yoshiwara geisha), holding fan and wooden clappers. The poem is signed Ry��tei Edo no Hananari.
This print figures in Roger Keyes' "The Art of Surimono", vol I, Dublin 1985, cat. 20, p. 61. However, the print that is depicted in this book in black & white (Chester Beatty Library, Dublin) is a so called 'Copy A' or a copy from recarved blocks, published in the 1890s. Roger Keyes mentions that an original print is in a private collection. As far I can see, details in the design of your print differ from the Copy A in Keyes' book so there is a real chance that your print is a genuine 1820s copy.
I recommend you to contact the British Museum for that matter.

Your second surimono is by the rare Osaka artist Hishikawa Kiyoharu (1808-1877, active 1820-30s), a printmaker and chiefly a book illustrator but he is also listed as a block copyist (Keyes & Mizushima, The Theatrical World of Osaka Prints, 1973, cat 222, p. 231, p. 268, p. 317 'addendum XVII). The signature reads partially "Hishikawa".
Kiyoharu hitsu" (with seal "Hishikawa").
Far more important is the fact that your print bears the red stamped seal (at the left) used between 1823 and 1831 by Tani Seik�, the master cutter and publisher of Osaka surimono (R. Keys, Tani Seik� and his circle", SJA, Andon 72-73, 2002). Your print is not in the Andon article.
Osaka surimono executed by Tani Seik� are very uncommon and sought after (however, some Copy A recuts exist also).

Again, this item will raise great interest of the scholars.

Guy.

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