Utagawa Kuniyoshi
Japanese, 1798-1861
from the series: Ogura Parody of the Hundred Poets,
ca. 1847
With Mura censor seal
Nishiki-e (color woodblock print)
Oban format
Signed: Kuniyoshi
Museum Collection
This series is a parody of famous poets, designed to evade
recent censorship laws against depicting Kabuki scenes by using
poets or poetry to disguise theatrical subject matter. The grand
aristocratic woman in the print-with the rising sun behind
her-is actually a demonic and dangerous fox-spirit. The long
inscription next to the woman reads: "The arisotcratic Konoe
family had a beautiful girl named Tamamo. Originally, she was
not human at all but a sky-jumping fox. Abe no Yasuchika prayed
and the fox appeared. This creature Miura no Kazusa Ryosuke
killed to show his bravery. The fox disappeared in the Naso
plain like dew" (translation by Sandy Kita). Though a goddess
founded Japan, there was a fear of the demonic power of women in
Japanese culture. This power is not always evil. Sometimes, it
exacts just punishment or is even protective. The poem in the
print is probably supposed to be one by Funya no Yasuhide (ca.
879): "As soon as it blows/The autumn grasses wither/The wind
that blows down from/The mountain is wintry they say indeed"
(translated by Sandy Kita).
Color woodblock prints were part of the rough everyday life of
the city, so their occasional worn or even worm-eaten condition
is not surprising, being a consequence of their very vitality.
Beauty was craved but not overprotected.
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