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Poems by Uma no Naishi and Shôshô no Naishi, from the series Fashionable Six Female Poetic Immortals (Fûryû onna Rokkasen), by the Kyoto Doll Artist (Kyôto ningyôshi) Ôishi Ganryûsai Yoshihiro


「京都人形師 大石眼竜斎吉弘」「風流女六歌仙 馬内侍 少将内侍」
Utagawa Kuniyoshi (Japanese, 1797–1861)
Publisher: Tsutaya Kichizô (Kôeidô) (Japanese)
Blockcutter: Tsuge Shôjirô (Hori Shôji) (Japanese)
Japanese
Edo period
1853 (Kaei 6), 6th month

Medium/Technique Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper
Dimensions Vertical ôban; 36.8 x 24.8 cm (14 1/2 x 9 3/4 in.)
Credit Line William Sturgis Bigelow Collection
Accession Number11.37131
NOT ON VIEW
ClassificationsPrints

Catalogue Raisonné http://blog.livedoor.jp/misemono/archives/cat_50049045.html; Ôta Mem. Mus., Warau ukiyo-e (2013), #132
DescriptionMFA impressions: 11.37131, 11.37974

An exhibition of life-sized dolls that was shown at Ryôgoku from the 5th month of 1853 showed present-day women representing classical poems by six female poets. The MFA has three designs by two artists, apparently from the same series: 11.37347 by Yoshifuji, and 11.37131 (duplicate 11.37974) and 11.38122 by Kuniyoshi, and a flier for the exhibition, 11.45606.
Signed Kuniyoshi ga
国芳画
Marks Censors' seals: Fuku, Muramatsu, Ox 6
Blockcutter's mark: Hori Shôji
改印:福、村松、丑六
彫師:彫庄治
Inscriptions「当八十八老翁作東両国におゐて大あたりゝゝ」
「(君)しまれ道のゆきゝをさだむらんすきにし人をかつわすれつゝ」と少将内侍の「□□のいとしふかべき里はあれど月のすむのとなりにける哉」
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.