Kokkei Ana-sagashi (Funny Flaw-Finding)

US$480.00

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Kokkei Ana-sagashi [Funny Flaw-Finding]

[Utagawa], Yoshimori [illustrated by].

[Tōkyō]: Iseshō [Iseya Shōnosuke], [1864].

A comical woodblock print by Utagawa Yoshimori (1830-1885), introducing seven character flaws across two scenes. The nishiki-e, number five of an indeterminate number of prints in Yoshimori's Kokkei Ana-sagashi series, describes characters using idioms and illustrates them in a literal sense. For example, a dog with human hands where his front paws should be is depicted in the centre of the lower scene, representing the idiom "even a dog's paw is better than nothing". The dog's desire to help his master is expressed through his internal monologue in the text above. Yoshimori also uses homophones and wordplay to engage his audience; the man in the top right stealing kasuri 絣 (splash patterns) from a kimono is described as a kasuri wo toru hito: a person who takes kasuri 掠 (a cut of illegal gains). Other characters pictured include a man with a belly where his back should be - a depiction of the idiom "you can't trade your back for your belly", meaning "to accept something with resolve" (i.e. you have to sacrifice something to protect something vital) - and a man with a long neck representing the idiom kubi wo nagakusuru ("to stretch one's neck", meaning "to wait impatiently for something"). A colourful and entertaining print by Yoshimori, one of Kuniyoshi's pupils.

One ōban leaf from a series. Light creases and small marks. Tiny hole to upper print margin. Mounted on thin card. Card mounting measures 39.9 x 27.4 cm; print measures 35.6 x 25 cm.

Kokkei Ana-sagashi (Funny Flaw-Finding)
Price: $480.00 (USD)