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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