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To Congratulate the People Born in Metal Signs, Who Will Enter a Lucky Cycle on the 7th Day of the 2nd Month, Here's a Song in Two Parts about Seven Lucky Things That Start with Fu (Nigatsu nanoka kinsei no onkata uke ni iru to iu medetasakari shichi fu no godai totchiriton ômugaeshi dekimashita): Actors Ichimura Kakitsu IV (R) and Sawamura Tanosuke III (L)


「二月七日金性の御方うけに入といふ目出度さかり七ふの御だい とつちりとんあふむがへし出来ました」 三味線を弾く四代目市村家橘
Toyohara Kunichika (Japanese, 1835–1900)
Publisher: Iseya Kanekichi (Japanese)
Japanese
Edo period
1867 (Keiô 3), 1st month

Medium/Technique Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper
Dimensions Vertical ôban diptych; 35.7 × 49.4 cm (14 1/16 × 19 7/16 in.)
Credit Line William Sturgis Bigelow Collection
Accession Number11.41599, 11.41679
NOT ON VIEW
ClassificationsPrints

DescriptionDiptych: 11.41599, 11.41679

The seven things that start with Fu, represented by pictures in the text on the right sheet, are: wisteria (fuji), Fukusuke, a brush (fude), a letter (fumi), Mount Fuji, a long sleeve (furisode), and Ofuku (Fukujo).
According to yin-yang divination (onmyôdô), luck followed a cycle of seven good years and then five bad years, according to one's year of birth. The ages of people in the lucky category are listed on the right sheet.
Signed Kunichika hitsu (on each sheet)
国周筆
Marks Censor's seal: Hare 1 aratame
No blockcutter's mark
改印:卯正改
彫師:なし
Inscriptions【ふぢ】の花見の其時に【ふく助】さんをふと見初 恋しさを【ふで】にいハせて【ふミ】を書(かき)【ふじ】の山程登り詰【ふりそで】袂に顔かくし人目忍(しのん)で逢たいと【おふく】の様なわたしでも色よいへんじを待ハいな
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.