Description:
oban; nishiki-e
Label Text:
The series title is found at upper-right within the yellow cartouche. Immediately to the left is written "Jurōjin," the god of Longevity, one of the Seven Lucky Gods. Presumably, therefore, there are six other prints in this series. Jurōjin's iconography dictates that he appear wearing a hat, similar to the one worn by the courtesan, and carrying a staff; according to traditional, there is usually a scroll dangling from his staff that contains the names and lifespans of every human. In addition, he is often accompanied by an animal, usually a deer or tortoise, both of which are also associated with longevity. Here, however, Eizan has rendered the Jurōjin as a monkey trainer — a playful visual pun on the iconography of the god and Edo-period monkey trainers, who were common sights in the capital. In so doing, Eizan is perhaps toying with the concepts of longevity and the ephemeral pleasures of the Floating World.
The print is signed "drawn by Kikugawa Eizan" ('Kikugawa Eizan hitsu') at middle-lower right; the style of the signature is consistent with the design used by Eizan from ca. 1807–1817. Below the signature is the kiwame, a circular seal of the censor. At bottom right, in the oval shape, is the gyōji, or personal seal of the censor, which identifies him as Iwatoya Kisaburō (ca. 1760s–1832), an Edo-based publisher who collaborated with Eizan on several print series. Iwatoya was an appointed censor from 1811–1815, narrowing the possible date of the print's execution. The publisher is unidentified.
Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=AC+2005.52 |
