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Minakuchi: The Story of Ôiko, from the series Fifty-three Pairings for the Tôkaidô Road (Tôkaidô gojûsan tsui)


「東海道五十三対 水口」 大井子
Utagawa Kuniyoshi (Japanese, 1797–1861)
Publisher: Ibaya Kyûbei (Japanese)
Japanese
Edo period
about 1845–46 (Kôka 2–3)

Medium/Technique Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper
Dimensions Vertical ôban; 37 x 25.4 cm (14 9/16 x 10 in.)
Credit Line William Sturgis Bigelow Collection
Accession Number11.42963
NOT ON VIEW
ClassificationsPrints

Catalogue Raisonné Marks, Kunisada's Tôkaidô (2013), #T78-51; Robinson, Kuniyoshi: The Warrior-Prints (1982), list #S44.52
DescriptionStation 51, from a series jointly designed by Hiroshige, Kunisada, and Kuniyoshi.

MFA impressions: *11.25026 (deaccessioned in 2012), 11.42963, 11.45385.51
Signed Chôôrô Kuniyoshi ga
朝櫻楼国芳画
Marks Censor's seal: Mura
No blockcutter's mark
改印:村
彫師:なし
Inscriptions昔高嶋といふ所に百姓の娘大井子といふ大力の女あり 力ある事を恥て常には出さづ 農業の間には馬を牽 旅人を乗て活業とす 折節田に水をまかする頃 村人大井子と水の事を論じ 女と侮り彼が田へ水のかからぬやうにせしかば 大井子憤りてある夜六七尺四方なる石を持ち来り かの水口に置けり 夜明て村人おどろき数人にて取らんとすれど中々動ず悩しに 大井子が仕業ときき 詮方なく種々侘けるゆへ 彼大石をかるがると引退けり 大力におそれて水論は止けるとぞ 今に此地に水口石とて残りける也
ProvenanceBy 1911, purchased by William Sturgis Bigelow (b. 1850–d. 1926), Boston [see note 1]; 1911, gift of Bigelow to the MFA. (Accession Date: January 19, 2005)

NOTES:
[1] Much of Bigelow's collection of Asian art was formed during his residence in Japan between 1882 and 1889, although he also made acquisitions in Europe and the United States. Bigelow deposited many of these objects at the MFA in 1890 before donating them to the Museum's collection at later dates.