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Hello, I would like to know where I might find other images from the series to which this print belongs, as I have not managed to decipher either the signature or the inscription at the bottom left. Thank you in advance for your help. Kind regards.

I know of two other sheets from this series, which you can find here:

https://www.ukiyoesig.net/gallery/pc/012.html

I've yet to come up with an entirely satisfactory transcription of either the signature or publisher seal. My best guess so far is that the signature reads Seigyū 成牛, but this is quite tentative. The record in ARC gives "眠平" -- I don't think this is correct, but it's another data point.

The publisher name appears to begin with 淺 (浅), but the second kanji continues to elude me.

I've never found any documentation of this series, other than that one record in ARC.

Quite a mysterious series!

-A

URL Title :Unknown tanuki series

Thank you very much for the link. The signature on this example is clearer, but indeed still difficult to read.
Best regards
jg

Based on the more legible print, I would read them as follows:
Signature,
眠牛　Mingyū
Publisher,
淺芳板　Asayoshiban - Published (printed) by such as Asaya Yoshibei (浅屋芳兵衛）

With regards,
I.Nagy

Thank you for the translation.
Alec provided me with a link to another print from the same series, for which the inscriptions are more legible. Attached to the message, you will find a screenshot of the relevant areas. Does this reinforce your reading?
best regards

I.Nagy --

After staring at cursive forms for a while, I'm inclined to agree with you that "min" 眠 is the superior interpretation of the first kanji of the signature. So "Mingyū" 眠牛 it is.

But for the publisher name, I think the mystery kanji simply has too many strokes to be "芳".

Here's a graphic combining the two known examples of the mystery kanji, along with some samples of cursive 芳, drawn from mojiportal.

Of course, the trouble with rejecting 芳 is that there aren't other great candidates I can find. So that's why I remain stuck here...

I don't know if this link provides any clues:

https://www.fujiarts.com/edo-era-japanese-prints/other/1093142-painting-a-tanukis-scrotum-using-a-tanukis-scrotum-for-a-bridge

Cheers,
Stan

Hello,
thank you for the link.
In fact, I bought, some years ago, a similar woodblock on this site. See attached image, it is not the same woodblock (and not the same than I posted few days ago, because I used the link to fujiart since my photo is not very good). And after the message of Alec, I found also another image of the same series on this site:

https://www.fujiarts.com/edo-era-japanese-prints/other/1123566-tanuki-using-his-scrotum-for-an-umbrella-tanuki-lifting-their-scrotums

In fact, it appears that the few links I know of all point to this site, except for the link Alex sent me in his last message. The site must have sold at least three prints from the series (two from the first image and one from the second), and before Alec’s reply, I did not know of any other images from this series.

Best regards

Hello,
>The publisher name appears to begin with 淺 (浅), but the second kanji continues to elude me.

Could this reads 淺草 and refers to “Asakusa"?

best

Dear Alec,
The third character should be 版.
淺草版 => printed at Asakusa
It is a form of speculation, as I do not read Japanese.
ould that be plausible in the context of the period (mid-19th century) and the subject?

best
jg

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