US$945.00 | ![]() |
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[A Sugoroku Game Featuring Various Animals]
Kokunimasa [illustrated by].
Tōkyō: Fukuda Kumajirō, Meiji 27 [1894].
A paper sugoroku game illustrated with various animals, by Kokunimasa. Kokunimasa was almost certainly Utagawa Kunimasa V (years of birth and death undetermined), who used the name Baidō Kokunimasa between 1889 and 1896. Many animals foreign to Japan are pictured, including an Arabian horse, a camel, a lion, an elephant, a donkey, and a tiger. Eleven horses are pictured, suggesting that the main theme of the print is keiba (horse-racing). This is also evident from the first panel, titled "Inu Keiba" ("Horse-Racing Dogs"). The foreign building in the background of the Arabian horse illustration and the foreign black ship in the background of the seal illustration are interesting inclusions and show the influence of Meiji era Westernisation. The print is probably lacking the title panel, which would have been attached to the upper section of the work. It is nevertheless skillfully illustrated with confident printed brush strokes and is not located in OCLC.
Four colour woodblock-printed leaves, affixed at extremities, probably lacking title panel. Light tears to folds and minor marks. Small hole to elephant illustration. Very good. 72.4 x 49.5 cm. Text in Japanese.