Studio: international art (58.1913)

The Dating of Japanese Colour-Prints from 1842

HE DATING OF JAPANESE
COLOUR-PRINTS FROM 1842.
BY J. J. O'BRIEN SEXTON.

In June 1909, Mr. J. S. Happer, in the preface
to his catalogue of Japanese Colour Prints,
second and final portion, announced his discovery
of date-seals on prints in the Kokwa and the sub-
sequent eras, and demonstrated that, by their aid,
he had been able to differentiate between the work
of the two Hiroshiges.

In April 1911, Mr. S. Tuke in like manner,
farther announced that date-seals were also occa-
sionally found on prints in the first two decades
of the nineteenth century.

In the following notes, I propose to introduce
two kinds of seals, which are met with from 1842
onwards, and with the aid of facsimile specimens,
to explain their meaning and connection with
date-seals. These may be conveniently termed
" Censors ' " seals and the " Aratame " seal.

Censors' seals, which are circular in shape,
twelve in number, and contain a family name, are
first found on prints issued during the " Prohibition
Period " referred to by Captain F. Brinkley (" Japan,
Its History, Arts, and Literature," vol. 7, page 50)
in the following words :

"At one time (1842) and that not by any means
the Golden Age of the Art, the Yedo Government,
in a mood of economy, deemed it necessary to issue
a sumptuary law7 prohibiting the sale of various
kinds of chromo-xylographs—single-sheet pictures
of actors, danseuses, and ' dames of the green
chamber' : pictures in series of three sheets or
upwards, and pictures in the printing of which
more than seven blocks were used. The prohi-
bition held for twelve years only—"

Through the courtesy of Mr. Hogitaro Inada, I
have obtained a copy of an extract from "Zoku
Taihei Nempio," containing a prohibition which is
probably that referred to by Captain Brinkley;
yet, whilst it agrees in most particulars with his
account, there are important differences. It also
contains much that is not mentioned by him at all.

The following is a summary of this interesting
document: " On the 4th day of the 6th month,
1842, the Yedo Machi Bugyo issued a proclamation
to the effect that the sale or purchase of single-
sheet prints of actors, courtesans, geishas and such
like, being detrimental to morals, no new blocks
for the same were to be made ; nor were pictures
of these subjects already in stock to be bought or
sold. Moreover, picture-books known as Kiawa-
setaba (miscellaneous collections), often containing

long and intricate descriptions of the plots of plays,
accompanied by portraits of actors, and bound in
coloured covers and enclosed in painted wrappers,
on which much time and labour had been uselessly
expended, and which were sold at a high price, were
not to be bought or sold. Henceforth, subjects
calculated to instil into young people's minds good
moral precepts, such as loyalty, filial piety,
chastity &c, were to be chosen ; written descrip-
tions of pictures were to be abbreviated; no
useless labour was to be expended on the covers
and wrappers, and the use of colours thereon
was strictly forbidden. All new publications were,
on completion, to be submitted for 'Examination'
{Aratame) to the ' Machi Toshiyori'; but no series
of pictures of more than three sheets nor books of
an obscene character were to be permitted for sale.'

It will be seen that instead of three-sheet prints
being banned, they were on the contrary allowed.
This is fully borne out by the enormous number of
triptychs bearing Censors' seals which appeared
during the prohibited period. The most important
point, however, and one not mentioned by Captain
Brinkley, is that men were actually appointed to
examine all new publications. (The " Machi Bugyo "
was a sort of governor with administrative and
judicial functions. The " Toshiyori" were coun-
sellors or advisers to the' " Nanushi " or Mayor.)

In the nth month of the same year ^842), a
second proclamation was issued by the same
authority to the effect that—" Illustrated Books and
series of pictures of more than three sheets were
strictly forbidden: the colour blocks were to be
limited to seven or eight: the price of single-sheet
prints and fan-leaves was not to exceed sixteen sen.
Pictures such as the Tokaido, Hakkei, Junikei,
Rok'kasen, and the Shichi Kenjin, were not included
in the prohibition. At the same time it was enjoined
that such pictures should be made gradually in
sets of three at a time, each sheet being marked
1, 2, 3: and pictures of an indecent character
were, of course, strictly prohibited."

A note which follows states that the evasion of
these orders, brought with it punishment in one case
at least. The culprits were the artist Sadahide, the
publisher Sakurai Yasube and his five assistants.
They were found guilty of making and selling, with-
out its having been first submitted for examination,
a caricature of Kuniyoshi's well-known print of
Minamoto Raiko and the Earth Spider. The
artist was fined 5 yen, and the others 3 yen each,
while the amount realised by the sale of the print
was confiscated. This took place on the 26th day
of the 12th month, 1843.

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