Raijin
Registered
- 26 Feb 2015
- 19
- 2
- 18
Hi!
So, about a year ago I bought this kakejiku that depicts a Shōjō. I always wanted a Shōjō, mainly because I like the the folklore surrounding them, but I only ever saw paintings of Noh actors dressed as Shōjō, and not an actual Shōjō, until I found this kakejiku. It is really one of my favourite hanging scrolls now, and it is a nice small size so it fits perfectly in a small space on my bedroom wall, which has been its home for the last year. Every time I look at it, I always smile or laugh at the whimsical nature of the subject matter. At the bottom of the image she is clearly very drunk, propping her head up with her arm while leaning on the large pot of Sake, and there is a kind of thought bubble rising up the left hand side to the image, containing a scene where she is dancing on the seashore before the sunrise. I think at the bottom she is drunkenly reminiscing over her earlier antics!
At the very top there are what looks like four lines of characters, (Photos 3,4 & 5), with some further small characters to the right hand side. I have made several attempts to translate the text, but I really haven't been successful, and I would really love to know if it is a poem, and if so, what does it say?
Also, at the very bottom of the image are three kanji, (Photo 10), which I think are -
板木西
At first, these three kanji didn't really make any sense to me, but then I found out that 板木 is alternative way to write 版画, and basically means 'woodcut' I think, which makes sense as the image is woodblock printed. But I still don't know why the kanji 西 is there, meaning West. I know that the kanji is pronounced 'Nishi', so the only thing I can think of is that it relates somehow to Nishiki-e? But that is written 錦絵, so I am still a bit confused!
Also, the signature has been difficult to decipher, (Photos 8 & 9), my best attempt would be -
企祐堂画
But again, I really am not sure at all!
If anyone here can help at all, as always, it is much appreciated!
合掌!!
So, about a year ago I bought this kakejiku that depicts a Shōjō. I always wanted a Shōjō, mainly because I like the the folklore surrounding them, but I only ever saw paintings of Noh actors dressed as Shōjō, and not an actual Shōjō, until I found this kakejiku. It is really one of my favourite hanging scrolls now, and it is a nice small size so it fits perfectly in a small space on my bedroom wall, which has been its home for the last year. Every time I look at it, I always smile or laugh at the whimsical nature of the subject matter. At the bottom of the image she is clearly very drunk, propping her head up with her arm while leaning on the large pot of Sake, and there is a kind of thought bubble rising up the left hand side to the image, containing a scene where she is dancing on the seashore before the sunrise. I think at the bottom she is drunkenly reminiscing over her earlier antics!
At the very top there are what looks like four lines of characters, (Photos 3,4 & 5), with some further small characters to the right hand side. I have made several attempts to translate the text, but I really haven't been successful, and I would really love to know if it is a poem, and if so, what does it say?
Also, at the very bottom of the image are three kanji, (Photo 10), which I think are -
板木西
At first, these three kanji didn't really make any sense to me, but then I found out that 板木 is alternative way to write 版画, and basically means 'woodcut' I think, which makes sense as the image is woodblock printed. But I still don't know why the kanji 西 is there, meaning West. I know that the kanji is pronounced 'Nishi', so the only thing I can think of is that it relates somehow to Nishiki-e? But that is written 錦絵, so I am still a bit confused!
Also, the signature has been difficult to decipher, (Photos 8 & 9), my best attempt would be -
企祐堂画
But again, I really am not sure at all!
If anyone here can help at all, as always, it is much appreciated!
合掌!!