Kuniyoshi: Mother with child
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Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1798-1861)

A mother with her infant, who has fallen asleep on her lap after breastfeeding. Scattered on the floor are the child’s toys, including an anesama paper doll, and the mother's sewing utensils - scissors and a ruler, a rolled up kimono, and a wooden sewing box behind her.

The cartouche is designed as a scroll painting, showing the seated figure of a rakan (aka arhat, a Buddhist ascetic and saint) with a pair of tongs (?) in his raised hand.

Title: Taben Sonja (Saint Taben or The Talkative Loser) – No. 8

Series: Myôdensu jûroku rikan (Sixteen Wonderful Considerations of Profit)

Signature: Ichiyûsai Kuniyoshi giga

Seal: Kiri mon (Yoshikiri)

Publisher: Enshûya Matabei (Enmata), Edo

Censor seal: Mura

Date: 1843-46

Size: Vertical Ôban, 36,6 x 24,8 cm (overall)

Very good impression and colours. Unbacked. Some light creases, minimal soiling and rubbing. Overall very good condition. There are several colour variants of this print, esp. in the colours of the scroll mounting and the woman’s obi belt. From a very nice series of women with satirical overtones, which is also indicated by Kuniyoshi's signature "giga" (jokingly painted), used here and in other prints of the series. Rare. Robinson 1961, p. 56, no. 103. Robert Schaap, Heroes & Ghosts, Leiden 1998, pp. 268f, no. 11.8. See also British Museum 2008,3037.14608; Tokyo Metropolitan Library, National Diet Library and Museo d'Arte Orientale, Venice.

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