Morning Glory and Red-Crowned Cranes: Autumn no. 3

Bairei’s Picture Album of Flowers and Birds

Information

Title Morning Glory and Red-Crowned Cranes: Autumn no. 3 Kengyūka tsuru aki san 牽牛化鶴 秋三
Series title Bairei’s Picture Album of Flowers and Birds 嶺花鳥畫譜
Artist Kōno Bairei 幸野楳嶺 (1844–1895)
Date 27/12/1883
Publisher Ōkura Magobei 大倉孫兵衛
Woodcarver Yamamoto Shinji 山本信司
City Kyoto & Edo
Artist seal Bairei 楳嶺
Censorship seal(s) (left margin) 御届明治十六年十二月廿七日 otodoke Meiji jūroku nen jūni gatsu nijūnana nichi (right margin) 組合証 kumiai akashi Guild certified
Blockcutter’s (and/or) printer’s) seal(s) horikō Yamamoto Shinji 彫工山本信司
Inscription

(lower margin)

下京第三組玉藏町百三十一番地 筆者 幸野豊 Shimogyō dai-3-gumi Tamakurachō 131 banchi hissha Kōno Toyo (Bairei’s address in Kyoto, author: Kōno Toyo)

東京日本橋通一丁目十九番地 出版人 大倉孫兵衛 Tōkyō Nihonbashidōri 1-chōme 19 banchi shuppanjin Ōkura Magobei (publisher’s address in Tokyo, publisher: Ōkura Magobei)

(bottom left margin)

Numbered 1072 一◯七二

Technique & material Woodblock print; full colour print; pigment on paper
Object number SH2023-CB-02
iterature references complete set: https://pulverer.si.edu/node/816/title
Credit Line Gift of Chris Blom
Provenance Gifted to the Japan Museum SieboldHuis in February 2023 by Chris Blom

Description

From a series of 50 prints that depict and describe flowers and birds in encyclopedic style, divided in the four seasons. The prints were also bound and sold in two sets; one for autumn and winter and one for spring and summer. The series was later reissued without the decorative frame and descriptive texts. This particular set was treated with the technique for making crêpe paper. The process of creating crêpe prints (chirimen) goes as follows: after printing, the sheet is moistened and, together with other sheets, wrapped around a cilinder, after which the roll is compressed. This is repeated from various angles, causing the print to reduce in size and obtains a wrinkly texture. Chirimen were especially popular among the French public in the late 19th century and were exported in great numbers around that time.