美人菱花集|A Flowery Mirror of Beautiful Women (Bijin ryōka shū) 美人菱花集

Katsura Seiyō 桂青洋

1831, summer sixth month (Tenpō 2) · Woodblock printed book; ink and color on paper · Asian Art

This illustrated collection of kyōka (witty 31-syllable poems) has a clever title that literally means “A Collection of Beauties as Chestnut Flowers [ryōka or hishi].” But ryōka (water chestnut) also is an abbreviated way of referring to a ryōka-kyō, or metal mirror with floral motifs on the reverse side. The publisher of this volume probably created the title that would add a level of literary allusiveness to this compilation of genre scenes of women and poetry. The frontispiece and one of the illustrations in fact show images of metal cosmetic mirrors.

Artist

Katsura Seiyō 桂青洋

Date

1831, summer sixth month (Tenpō 2)

Medium

Woodblock printed book; ink and color on paper

Culture

Japan

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Purchase, Mary and James G. Wallach Foundation Gift, 2013