About This Print
Adoring fans watch the thunder god, raijin, perform in this diptych by Kawanabe appearing in the 16th volume of the arts magazine Bijutsu Sekai (World of Art), published in February 1892.
The Magazine Bijutsu Sekai
Source: Woodblock Kuchi-e Prints: Reflections of Meiji Culture, Helen Merritt and Nanako Yamada, University of Hawaii Press, 2000Twenty-five issues of Bijutsu Sekai 美術世界 (World of Art) were published from December 22, 1890 until the final issue on January 2, 1894. The magazine presented fifteen or more works of well-known contemporary and past master artists to the public in woodblock form in each issue. The woodblocks were either reproductions of paintings in reduced-size or original woodblocks. Published by Shun'yōdō 春陽堂, a Tokyo publishing firm best known for publishing illustrated novels, each issued was edited by the nihonga artist and designer of woodblock prints, Watanabe Seitei 渡辺省亭1 (1851-1918), who specialized in kachoga (bird and flower paintings).
Artists' works appearing in the magazine included those of Seitei himself, Kawanabe Kyōsai (1831-1889), Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (1839-1892), Kōno Bairei (1844-1895), Kobayashi Eitaku (1843-1890), Imao Keinen (1845-1923), Shibata Zeshin (1807-1891), Kitagawa Utamaro (1753-1806), Maruyama Ōkyo (1733-1795), Yosa Buson (1716-1784) and Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849). The final issue, volume 25, consisted of works only by Seitei.
Woodblock printing was done by Yoshida Ichimatsu (1866-1924) and the woodblocks were carved by Gotō Tokujirō.
1 also seen written in Japanese as 渡邊省亭
Front Covers and Publishing Dates for All Twenty-Five Volumes
Source: Harvard Yenching Library https://hollis.harvard.edu/primo-explore/fulldisplay?context=L&vid=HVD2&search_scope=everything&tab=everything&lang=en_US&docid=01HVD_ALMA212046566950003941
巻二 Issue 2January 25, 1891
巻四 Issue 4
March 25, 1891
巻五 Issue 5
April 25, 1891
巻六 Issue 6
May 10, 1891
巻七 Issue 7
June 10, 1891
巻八 Issue 8
July 10, 1891
巻九 Issue 9
July 25, 1891
August 26, 1891
October 5, 1891
巻十二 Issue 12
October 26, 1891
巻十三 Issue 13
November 30, 1891
巻十四 Issue 14
December 25, 1891
巻十五 Issue 15
December 28, 1891
巻十六 Issue 16
February 29, 1892
巻十七 Issue 17
June 20, 1892
巻十八 Issue 18
July 22, 1892
巻十九 Issue 19
September 25, 1892
巻廿 Issue 20
November 10, 1892
巻廿一 Issue 21
November 29, 1892
巻廿二 Issue 22
December 12, 1892
巻廿三 Issue 23December 28, 1892
巻廿四 Issue 24
October 17, 1893
colophon Issue 25click on image to enlarge
Colophon
明治廿六年十二月廿六日印刷[printed December 28, 1893]明治廿七年一月二日發行[published January 2, 1894]明治廿二年十一月六日内務省許可[authorized by Ministry of Home Affairs November 6, 1889]
編輯者 渡邊省亭[edited by Watanabe Seitei]印刷者 吉田市松[printed by Yoshida Ishimatsu]雕刻者 五島徳次郎[carved by Gotō Tokujirō]發行者 和田篤太郎[publisher Wada Tokutarō]發賣所 春陽堂[sales office Shun'yōdō]
Print Details
| IHL Catalog |
#1932 |
| Title or Description | Drumming God is Thunder God from the magazine Bijutsu Sekai, Volume 16 美術世界 巻十六 |
| Artist | Kawanabe Kyōsai (1831-1889) |
| Signature |
 |
| Seal | triangular shōjo seal (see above) |
| Publication Date | February 29, 1892 明治廿五年二月廿五日印刷同二月二十九日出版 |
| Publisher | Shun'yōdō 春陽堂; proprietor Wada Tokutarō 和田篤太郎 |
| Carver |
Gotō Tokujirō 五島徳次郎 |
| Printer | Yoshida Ichimatsu 吉田市松 (1866-1924) |
| Impression | excellent |
| Colors | excellent |
| Condition | excellent |
| Genre | 美術雑誌 Art magazine |
| Miscellaneous | |
| Format | |
| H x W Paper |
9 13/16 x 6 3/8 in. (24.9 x 16.2 cm) [each sheet] |
| H x W Image | 7 5/8 x 5 3/16 in. (19.4 x 13.2 cm) [each sheet) |
| Collections This Print | Smithsonian Institution Freer/Sackler FSC-GR-780.900.15 [volume 16]; Harvard Library [all 25 volumes can be seen on-line at https://iiif.lib.harvard.edu/manifests/view/drs:52409570$1i |
| Reference Literature |
9/17/2018
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