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Subject:Reading of Notation on back of bijin kuchi-e by Noguchi Kogai (3 of 4)
Posted By: Irwin Tue, Apr 23, 2024 IP: 174.127.209.134

The third of four scribbled notations on the verso of 4 bijin kuchi-e by the artist Noguchi Kōgai 野口紅涯 or 野口紅厓 (c. 1899-1930s). Could the signboard on the front of the print be for the play Osome Hisamatsu?





Subject:Re: Reading of Notation on back of bijin kuchi-e by Noguchi Kogai (3 of 4)
Posted By: I.Nagy Wed, Apr 24, 2024

罠 Wana - Trap
野口紅厓 Noguchi Kōgai

Inscription in the picture,
おそめ Osome
久まつ Hisamatsu
心中大加らくり Shinju dai-karakuri
The underhand trickery of Osome and Hisamatsu's love suicide - An early Edo priod tragic love affair, turned into Kabuki play

I.Nagy

Subject:Re: Reading of Notation on back of bijin kuchi-e by Noguchi Kogai (3 of 4)
Posted By: Irwin Thu, Apr 25, 2024

Nagysan,
On the signboard, could dai-karakuri be ōkarakuri referencing mechanical puppets (からくり人形) dramatizing The Love Suicide of Osome Hisamatsu? I've just been poking around the web searching on おそめ 久まつ 心中大からくりand came up with some interesting information at http://blog.livedoor.jp/misemono/archives/52273108.html and https://www2.ntj.jac.go.jp/dglib/contents/learn/edc13/sakuhin/syuyo/p3/p3-d.html and https://www.ne.jp/asahi/kato/yoshio/ukiyoeyougo/ka-yougo/yougo-karakuri.html
With thanks,

Subject:Re: Reading of Notation on back of bijin kuchi-e by Noguchi Kogai (3 of 4)
Posted By: I.Nagy Fri, Apr 26, 2024

Irwin-san,
大加らくり 
it could be read ō-karakuri,too. Either way, it means the same thing " a great karakuri"

In Japanese, the word “karakuri” has the following meanings in addition to that of "mechanism",
悪巧み(sinister design)、悪戯(trick, prank)、策略(plot, trick)、手口(deception)、藝當(a performance)、謀略 (conspiracy etc.

This is an example sentence taken from Kenkyusha's New Japanese-English Medium Dictionary.
研究社 新和英中辞典  絡繰り
〈仕掛け〉 mechanism

〈計略〉 a trick; 《口語》 a dodge

今度の事件には何か秘密のからくりがあるようだ. I suspect there's some underhand trickery involved in the affair.

With regards,
I.Nagy





Subject:Re: Reading of Notation on back of bijin kuchi-e by Noguchi Kogai (3 of 4)
Posted By: Irwin Thu, Apr 25, 2024

Nagysan, I provided an image of the wrong notation on the verso for this third print. The correct image of the notation is provided below.
With apologies, Irwin





Subject:Re: Reading of Notation on back of bijin kuchi-e by Noguchi Kogai (3 of 4)
Posted By: I.Nagy Fri, Apr 26, 2024

のぞき   Nozoki  Peeping
からくり Karakuri Karakuri
野口 Noguchi
紅厓 Kōya

The eye-catcher inscription on the signboard has a double meaning, one for the original dramatic love story and the other for the actual mechanical puppet show.

悪しからず、
I.Nagy


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