Kokkei manga (Humorous sketches)

A re-carved, re-titled, and re-arranged edition of Santō Kyōden's Komon gawa (1790) featuring a new frontispiece and fifteen additional illustrations. Akatsuki no Kanenari I (1793-1860), the artist/author who wrote the preface and presumably added the new illustrations, appears to take credit for the work, failing to mention Kyōden and Komon gawa in the book. Kanenari does not simply reproduce Komon gawa, however, but re-arranges some of the pages and alters the accompanying captions and text in places, perhaps to include references to current affairs or bring the sense of humour up to date. An advertisement appears in the back for a second series, which it seems was never published. The Edo and Nagoya publishers of the work, Kakumaruya Kansuke and Eirakuya Tōshirō respectively, were publishers of Hokusai manga (1814-1878). It is unclear whether Hokusai was aware of this work produced by his publishers, but it is interesting to note that his Shingata komonchō, a collection of patterns and crests, some playful, was published one year after Kokkei manga, albeit by a different publisher. This enlarged edition, featuring 173 patterns, represents not only the enduring popularity of Kyōden's designs but also the eagerness of artists of later generations to contribute to the alluring theme.