Nihon Chimei-kagami (Mirror of the Names of Regions in Japan)

ENQUIRE

Nihon Chimei-kagami ["Mirror of the Names of Regions in Japan"]

[Shimizu], Yoshitamajo [illustrated by].

[Japan: publisher unidentified, ca. late Edo period (1850-60s)?].

A list of place names in Japan, illustrated with seven double-page spreads of landscapes by Shimizu Yoshitamajo, also known as Utagawa Yoshitama (1836-1870). Yoshitamajo was a pupil of Utagawa Kuniyoshi and later became a pupil of Shibata Zeshin. Aside from creating draft illustrations for Zeshin and the colouring of Kuniyoshi's drafts, she produced illustrations for books, ukiyo-e, fans, and sugoroku.  Although women artists contributed illustrations to printed books in the Edo period, their illustrations were often unsigned or attributed to their teachers (who were usually male artists). Yoshitamajo is one of the few women artists of the Edo period to have her name explicitly recorded as an illustrator in printed books she contributed to. The illustration on leaf 27 gives her printed signature.

One four-hole-bound (yotsumetoji) volume, complete, on double leaves, traditional East Asian binding style (fukurotoji). Original wrappers, worn and creased, possible attempted repair to upper, ex-ownership inscriptions to lower. Loss to lower 2cm of most leaves. Annotation and hand-applied colour to first illustrated spread. Occasional creases and small marks. A few wormholes. 31 leaves. 18.5 x 12.1cm.

Nihon Chimei-kagami (Mirror of the Names of Regions in Japan)
SOLD