Woodblock Kuchi-e Prints: Reflections of Meiji Culture 9780824842895

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Woodblock Kuchi-e Prints

Mizuno

Toshikata

Spring

Sea

Woodblock Kuchi-e Prints REFLECTIONS

OF M E I J I

CULTURE

HELEN NANAKO

UNIVERSITY

OF H A W A I ' I

HONOLULU

PRESS

YAM AD A

MERRITT

© 2000 University of Hawai'i Press All rights reserved Printed in China 05 04 03 02 01 00

54 32 1

Publication of this book has been assisted by a grant from the Metropolitan Center for Far Eastern Art Studies.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data M e r r i t t , Helen Woodblock kuchi-e prints: reflections of M e i j i culture /Helen M e r r i t t and Nanako Yamada p.

cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index. I S B N 0 - 8 2 4 8 - 2 0 7 3 - 8 (cloth: alk. paper) 1. Color prints, J a p a n e s e — M e i j i period, 1868-1912. 2. Illustration of books—Japan—Meiji period, 1868-1912. 3. Frontispiece. I. Yamada, Nanako, 1 9 3 9 NE1322.M48

. II. Title.

2000

769.952'09'03 4 — d c 2 1

99-32145 CIP

University of Hawai'i Press books are printed on acid-free paper and meet the guidelines for permanence and durability of the Council on Library Resources. Book and cover design: Stuart McKee Design, San Francisco Toppan Printing Co., Ltd. Japan

VII

LIST OF

XI

XII

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

NOTES AND

Contents

1

I

Setting

ILLUSTRATIONS

ON

NAMES

ILLUSTRATIONS

te S t a g e LATE BLOOMING MEIJI WHY EXPLORE

PRINTS

KUCHI-E?

W E S T E R N I Z A T I O N AND T R A D I T I O N P R E C U R S O R S OF K U C H I - E E V O L U T I O N OF MEIJI BUNGEI

17

NOVELS

KURABU

y

K u c h i - e as Mnts L I N G E R I N G T W I L I G H T OF T H E U K I Y O - E

STYLE

ECLECTICISM INROADS INTO

STYLIZATION

P L A N E S , S P A C E AND T I M E N E W P O S T U R E S AND F A C E S F O R

WOMEN

T H E C H A L L E N G E OF MEIJI MEN PRINTING N O T A T I O N S , C A R V E R S , AND

33

PRINTERS

G l i m p s e s of ie P a s t

T

I D E N T I T Y W I T H JAPANISM EARLY VALUES

T O K U G A W A AND M E I J I

63

MORALITY

G l i m p s e s of e Present F A M I L Y S T R U C T U R E AND I N D I V I D U A L SOCIAL

CHOICE

MOBILITY

SPREAD OF E D U C A T I O N C O R R U P T I N G P O W E R OF MONEY E F F E C T S OF HIGHER EDUCATION FOR WOMEN IDEOLOGICAL

NOVELS

TOWARD DOMESTIC

TRANQUILITY

101

The Self and E x p r e s s i o n of Feelings

>

" S E L F " AS P E R C E I V E D IN J A P A N E X P R E S S I O N OF F E E L I N G S GENTLE

PATHOS

FANTASIES OF ROMANTIC

LOVE

I L L N E S S AND S U I C I D E

125

B i j i n - g a and eir M e s s a g e s

S

BIJIN-GA

PAINTING

BIJIN-GA

KUCHI-E

CHANGING P E R C E P T I O N S OF WOMANHOOD I D E A L I Z E D W O M E N AND N A T U R E S E A S O N S AND T H E I R

SYMBOLS

C E L E B R A T I O N S AND R I T U A L S T R A D I T I O N , S T Y L E AND

ELEGANCE

W O M E N AT W O R K E C H O E S F R O M T H E R U S S O - J A P A N E S E WAR INROADS INTO

179

STYLIZATION

Kuchi-e Artists t h e World of Meiji P a i n t e r s

7

STATUS OF T R A D I T I O N A L S C H O O L S OF PAINTERS I N F L U E N C E FROM KIKUCHI

YÖSAI

I L L U S T R A T I O N AS A P R O F E S S I O N P A I N T I N G AND

POLITICS

S T A N D I N G O F K U C H I - E A R T I S T S IN P A I N T I N G CONCLUSION

Appendix 193

Appendix 223

A:

BIOGRAPHICAL

B:

FACSIMILE

Appendix

SIGNATURES

AND

C:

2 39

SOURCES

245

NOTES

255

GLOSSARY

261

BIBLIOGRAPHY

INDEX

SKETCHES

OF T H E

KUCHI-E

SEALS

EXHIBITIONS

List of Illustrations 2.1 W a t a n a b e S e i t e i

3.9 Watanabe Seitei

Beauty Looking at Shinobazu 2 . 2 T a k e u c h i KeishQ

Lady

Day

Tiger

3.11 M i s h i m a Shösö

2.3 Ogata Gekkö

Half-Moon

Iris Flowers 2 . 4 Watanabe Seitei

Good Artisan

Castle

3.12 T o m i o k a E i s e n

Working

Hard

A Wife's

Heart

3.13 M i z u n o T o s h i k a t a

ta Hanko

Beginning

Maki

Lady

3.10 T a k e u c h i K e i s h ü

A Balmy Autumn

3.1 K