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Uncanny Papercrafts at Oumayagashi in Asakusa (Asakusa Oumayagashi ni te, fushigi no yôsei kamizaiku); A Dance with Hand Gestures for Women and Children, the Talk of This Country and Others (Naiikoku no hanashi onnako teodori)


「浅草おうまやがしにて ふしぎの様成紙ざいく」 「内異国の語 女子手おどり」
Utagawa Yoshifuji (Japanese, 1828–1889)
Publisher: Sawamuraya Seikichi (Japanese)
Japanese
Meiji era
1869 (Meiji 2), 4th month

Medium/Technique Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper
Dimensions Vertical ôban diptych; 35.7 × 52.6 cm (14 1/16 × 20 11/16 in.)
Credit Line William Sturgis Bigelow Collection
Accession Number11.37344a-b
NOT ON VIEW
ClassificationsPrints

DescriptionAdvance publicity for an event that was held in the 5th month, not actually a craft exhibition but a performance of magic tricks using paper props.
The five figures below the dance instructions may be child actors, costumed as the Five Manly Men who appear in many kabuki plays. From right to left, they are identified as Sawamura Kokin, Nakamura Tatsunosuke, Nakamura Sôji (?), Sawamura Koharu, and Bandô Komanojô (?).
Signed Yoshifuji ga
芳藤画
Marks Censor's seal: Snake 4 aratame
No blockcutter's mark
改印:巳四改
彫師:なし
Inscriptions浅草おうまやがしにて ふしぎの様成紙ざいく 内異国の語 女子手おどり (チヤ/\チャン/\/\/\)ぞんねからあるにおふぺんで(テンチヤン)ゑるすてだふが おッぷげこむといすわいな(チヤ/\ンチヤン/\/\)わねへるれんでのこおめんおふすと うゐんどもほふふどすたッとに ぎおるでんいすわいな(チヤチヤン/\/\/\) おふすとすたッとべおんでれきにふろれへき(チヤチヤン/\/\)
ProvenanceBy 1911, purchased by William Sturgis Bigelow (b. 1850–d. 1926), Boston [see note 1]; 1911, gift of Bigelow to the MFA. (Accession Date: January 19, 2005)

NOTES:
[1] Much of Bigelow's collection of Asian art was formed during his residence in Japan between 1882 and 1889, although he also made acquisitions in Europe and the United States. Bigelow deposited many of these objects at the MFA in 1890 before donating them to the Museum's collection at later dates.