diptych print; surimono

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Object Type: diptych print; surimono
Museum number: 1922,0213,0.2
Title: Object: Haru no yama-mata 春ノ山又 (Spring Mountains)
Description: Colour woodblock-printed diptych, surimono. Scenes from childhood of Kintaro: shaking tree down in front of torrent; tengu falling out of tree; Yamauba seated by tree; Yorimitsu arriving at top right. With poems. Nishiki-e on paper with applied metal dust. Inscribed and signed.
Producer name: Print artist: Totoya Hokkei (魚屋北渓); Written by: Kagendo Tsugiho 花源洞継穂 (poem); Written by: Seiyokan Umeyo 青陽館梅世 (poem)
Cultures/periods
Production date: 1830 (c.)
Production place: Published in: Kyoto-shi (?); Published in: Osaka-shi (?)
Materials
Technique: woodblock; colour
Dimensions: Height: 41.80 centimetres (whole); Width: 36 centimetres (whole)
$Inscriptions
Curator's comments: Smith 1988 This extraordinary display of printing technique seems to be the work of a Kyoto or Osaka publisher. The legendary Red Boy of the mountains is shaking a tree down to make a bridge over a torrent. Creatures called 'tengu' fall out of it, one holding a board marked 'nightingale'. By the tree sits his mother Yaegiri, sometimes known as Yamauba. Yorimitsu (top right) arrives to discover the boy and adopt him. Two poems are showered with cherry-blossoms. The allusions of this complex print are not all explained. The signature is 'Painted by Hokkei'.
Bibliographic references: Smith 1988 / Ukiyoe: Images of Unknown Japan (198); Hizo Ukiyo-e taikan Vol 3 / Hizo Ukiyo-e taikan (65)
Location: Not on display
Subjects: history; myth/legend
Associated names: Representation of: Kintaro (金太郎); Named in inscription & portrayed: Yamauba (山姥); Representation of: Minamoto no Yorimitsu (源頼光)
Acquisition name
Acquisition date: 1922
Department: Asia
Registration number: 1922,0213,0.2

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