One of the real pleasures in my job is uncovering buried treasures and bringing them to peoples' attention. This print is a wonderful example; have you ever seen it, or heard of its designer? I would wager neither ... The number of prints that were produced back in the Edo era is so vast and varied that it is foolish to keep reproducing the same ukiyo-e 'standards' over and over again.

It is one print from a set depicting three of the fukujin (we usually see seven of these 'lucky gods' ...), and shows the goddess known as Benzaiten. Various reference sources I checked couldn't agree on exactly what it is she is supposed to be the goddess of, so I'll choose the one that states: Goddess of Fine Arts and Music, which suits me just fine!

The design dates from the 1760's~70's, and was created by Tomikawa Fusanobu. He was not known for single sheet prints like this one as much as for his work in books - writing and illustrating nearly 300 novels during his career.

The original print dates from the era before colour printing had become widespread, so I have taken the liberty of adding colour to the image. But I certainly wouldn't take any liberties with the outlines - the lines of her lute and kimono are created with calligraphy reading Biwa Hoshi Benzaiten (Benzaiten, as a Lute-Playing Priestess).

I knew some time ago that this design would be included in the Hanga Treasure Chest this year, but exactly which position in the set it would take was of course decided by those branches over her head. I'm sure that many of you are displaying the box in your genkan (entranceway) this year, so I'm really trying to maintain a good seasonal feel to the sequence of prints, yet without making it just a collection of flower pictures. After the cherry blossoms have fallen, it will be the turn of the ... but no, you'll have to wait and see!

I hope you are enjoying the journey so far ...

David
Monday, March 28, 2005

(Here's the print in context in the Treasure Chest series.)

Posted by Dave Bull at 08:51 PM | Comments (2)

An important part of my recent exhibitions is the 'David's Choice' corner, where each year I display a number of items from my personal print collection. One of the prints on display last year was a Meiji-era book of designs by one of the leading painters of the day, Kawabata Gyokusho, which was intended to serve as a te-hon - a 'copy book' - for students of watercolour brush painting. The print you see here, although not from that same book, is taken from another te-hon I own by the same artist, this one issued in Meiji 33 (1900).

The volume - which is an unbound collection of single sheets - is entitled Picture Collection for High School Girls. My copy unfortunately has a few sheets missing - I guess one of the girls 'borrowed' them one day - but there are plenty left, and what a wonderful collection it is: landscapes, figures, still life ... I think if I used just this volume as my source material for the rest of this year's prints, you probably wouldn't complain!

I found this image particularly attractive, and while I was leafing through the volume trying to make a decision on which one to include in the Hanga Treasure Chest, this print jumped up and down and shouted 'Choose me! Choose me!' I'm not sure just what feature I find most appealing - the bold outlines of the tea caddy, the delicate gradations of the leaves, or the audacious bright splash of vermillion across the sheet.

I was 'talking' by e-mail with one of the collectors the other day about this year's strict 'every two weeks' schedule, and she said to me "Don't try to make them all masterpieces ...!" Well, I understand her idea, but I think that when Gyokusho prepared all his paintings for that book of his, he tried to do so. Whether or not he succeeded I can't say, but I do know that for my Treasure Chest this year, I don't want to settle for less than 24 home runs!

Come December, we'll see how well I was able to do!

David
Monday, March 14, 2005

(Here's the print in context in the Treasure Chest series.)

Posted by Dave Bull at 08:49 PM | Comments (0)