A printing woodblock (248 x 470 x 35 mm.) for leaves 19 & 20 of Oie hyakunin isshu senzai bunko 御家百人一首千歳文庫 [Senzai Bunko’s Anthology of One Hundred Poets & One Poem Each], carved on both sides with text & four portraits of classical Japanese poets; both handles are present, title & leaf numbers in manuscript on both handles

N.p.: [1865].


A fine illustrated woodblock from the late Edo period; Atomi Gakuen attributes the portraits to Kikukawa Eizan 菊川英山 (1787-1867), a trusted disciple of Utamaro and respected ukiyo-e artist, known for his portraits of beauties (bijin). The book celebrates 100 great Japanese male and female poets from the Heian period, and presents expertly rendered portraits alongside their poetry, with explanatory text in the boxes above. The poems are represented in an elegant calligraphic style. Each poet is named; on our woodblock four are depicted: Bunya no Asayasu 文屋朝康, Taira no Kanemori 平兼盛, Sangi Hitoshi 参議等, and Ukon 右近, poet and lady-in-waiting (truncated) to Lady Onshi, consort of Emperor Daigo.


In excellent condition, handles well-preserved. (Inventory #: 10967)