Ehon shokunin kagami 絵本職人鑑

FSC-GR-780.94

Commentary by Suzuki Jun

Posted June 2, 2017

Original unedited text in Japanese follows

Ehon shokunin kagami (Mirror of artisans: a picture-book) illustrates craftspeople engaged in their respective métiers. One, on occasion two or even three, kyōka accompany the images, and in the preface the poet Sensōan (Asakusa’an) Ichihito explains that “the conceit of putting together six times six (i.e., thirty-six) poems and then pulling out six was the work of the celebrated designer, the venerable master Hishikawa Sōri.” In other words, this book contains thirty representations, one on each half-folio.

The artisans depicted in the fifteen double-page openings include in order of appearance: musicians and shirabyōshi performers; weavers and blacksmiths; rope braiders and fan makers; calligraphers and young women known as Oharame 大原女(maiden from Ohara); coopers and doll makers; carpenters and clock-setters; artists and eboshi hat makers; earthenware potters and helmet makers; saddle makers and embroiderers; founders and wood turners, mirror polishers and koto makers, pine cultivators and lacquerers, bamboo screen and mask makers, maki-e lacquer artisans and bamboo hat makers, and finally carvers and sake brewers. The compositions depicting the rope braiders/fan makers and the calligraphers/Oharame (pp. 6–7, 8–9 on the website, respectively) are signed Sōri ga 宗理画(picture by Sōri)on each half-folio and stamped with a vermillion seal reading shokunin sanjūrokkasen 職人三十六歌仙(“the artisan ‘Thirty-six immortal poets’”). It is possible that this was done so that these particular images could be printed and distributed separately.

Most of the representations show the artisans in pairs, the most frequent grouping comprising a man and a woman. The illustrations are rendered using deep, intense colors mixed with gold and are relatively faithful to Katsushika Hokusai’s style. Hishikawa Sōri was Hokusai’s student, and he assumed his art name Hishikawa Sōri from his teacher, who used it himself for a short period. Although less polished than his teacher, Sōri’s designsexude a delicate sensibility and charm. This book was previously in the collection of Felix Tikotin (1893–1986).

署名　　　狂歌絵本職人鑑
執筆者鈴木淳

菱川宗理画、浅草庵市人撰、狂歌入り職人尽くし絵本。色摺り。署名は所々に「宗理画」とあり。職人絵は見開き十五枚、三十図。市人の序に「轆轤（ろくろ）挽六々の数をあはせたるは、名たゝるゑたくみ菱川宗理翁也けり」（轆轤挽きではないが、六々三十六首の数に合わせたのは、著名な画工である菱川宗理翁の仕業である）とあることからもわかる通り、三十六（六々）図のうち六図を欠逸している。各職人絵から成る半丁図を見開きで番とする。職人絵は楽人と白拍子、機織と鍛冶、組物師と扇折、筆師と大原女、𥶡掛（たがかけ）と人形師、大工と時斗師、画師と烏帽子折、土器師と兜師、鞍打と縫箔師、鋳物師と挽物師、鏡ときと琴師、松つくりと塗物師、翠簾師と面うち、蒔絵師と笠縫、彫物師と酒造の十五番。組物師と扇折、筆師と大原女の二番には半丁ごとに「宗理画」とあり、かつ「職人三十六歌仙／筆師」などとする朱印を押す。職人絵ごとに一枚摺りでの流通も考慮したものと思われる。各職人絵は、ほとんど二人ずつの組み合わせであり、そのうち一人は女性を描き入れることを通例とする。金入りの極彩色を用い、絵は北斎にかなり近い筆致で、やや拙劣であるが、細密で華奢な味わいがある。狂歌は、絵ごとに一首ずつを基本とするが、二首、三首の場合もある。フェリックス・ティコチン旧蔵。

Selected readings:

Jack Hillier, The Art of the Japanese Book, 2 vols. (London: Sotheby’s Publications by Philip Wilson Publishers Ltd., 1987), see esp. vol. 2, 827–29.

Narasaki Muneshige楢崎宗重, ed., Puruverā korekushon『プルヴェラ－・コレクション』, vol. 3 (1990), Hizō ukiyo-e taikan『秘蔵浮世絵大観』, 16 vols. (Tokyo: Kōdansha, 1987–1991).

National Institute of Japanese Literature 国文学研究資料館and The Chester Beatty Library, eds., Chesutā・Bītī Raiburarī emaki ehon kaidai mokuroku『チェスター・ビーティー・ライブラリィ絵巻絵本解題目録』2 vols. (Tokyo: Bensei Shuppan, 2002).

Copies in other collections:

Chester Beatty Library, Dublin

New York Public Library, New York City

Edo shokunin uta-awase