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Subject:Ukiyo-e woodblock
Posted By: Stevers Mon, Jul 20, 2026 IP: 76.36.237.85

Can anyone identify this woodblock? The Ukiyo-e search site cannot find the image in its hundreds of thousands of woodblocks. thank you!



Subject:Re: Ukiyo-e woodblock
Posted By: I.Nagy Tue, Jul 21, 2026

Ukiyo-e prints are as numerous as the stars in the night sky, and it’s not uncommon to come across ones that no one has ever seen before.
Looking at the picture, this is all I can make out.
No matter how much I searched online, I couldn't find anything.

Signature,
香蝶樓
國貞画 Painted by Kachōrō Kunisada

(a.k.a. Toyokuni III)
He has used this pseudonym between 1827 and 1830.

Publisher,
山本久兵衛 Yamamoto Kyūbeei

Inscription on the left side,
幼稚たち出せ候くらべ
Yōjitachi dasesōrō kurabe
ca. Bring children forward to compete (or be compared)

Unfortunately, the text on the left is out of focus and cannot be read clearly.

Note,
For technical reasons alternative kanas are represented in their modern forms.

With regards,
I.Nagy

Subject:Re: Ukiyo-e woodblock
Posted By: Stevers Wed, Jul 22, 2026

Thank you very much, I. Nagy. You are always so very kind to take so much time with items that are hard to read or identify. I took another photo of the left side in case you have time to look at it again.
Thanks again!
Stevers



Subject:Re: Ukiyo-e woodblock
Posted By: I.Nagy Thu, Jul 23, 2026

Thank you for the new picture,
Inscription on the left side,
あぶら屋 おそめ ← (阿婦ら屋 お楚め)
Aburaya Osome*

* She is the heroine of the famous Kabuki and Jōruri play "Osome Hisamatsu".

With regards,
I.Nagy

Subject:Re: Ukiyo-e woodblock
Posted By: Stevers Fri, Jul 24, 2026

Thank you, I. Nagy. Your knowledge amazes me! Thank you for taking so much time on my question.
Stevers

Subject:Re: Ukiyo-e woodblock
Posted By: Horst Graebner Wed, Jul 22, 2026

The print is by Kunisada, signing here as "Kōchōrō Kunisada ga."
The publisher is Yamamotoya Heikichi, and the print bears no censorship seal.
This points to the transition from the old to the new censorship system associated with the Tenpō Reforms.
The subject matter of the print also aligns with the Tenpō Reforms, which had banned the depiction of actors and Kabuki prints.
The print belongs to a series featuring famous Kabuki roles enacted by children.
In this instance, the role is that of Aburaya Ayame (あぶらやあやめ).
The series title presents a challenge for me. It begins with "幼椎だち おせい(?) xxxx," making it a case for I. Nagy. :-)
I am aware of two other prints in the series. In one instance, the characters for the series title are identical to those on this print.
For the third print, the series title is written as 幼椎だち お精竸.

Subject:Re: Ukiyo-e woodblock
Posted By: Stevers Thu, Jul 23, 2026

Wow! You are so kind to take the time to research and share your knowledge with me and the Forum. I will pass along this info to my brother-in-law, who owns the print. Again, thank you! Steve

Subject:Re: Ukiyo-e woodblock
Posted By: Horst Graebner Fri, Jul 24, 2026

I. Nagy's reading of the character's name as あぶら屋 おそめ (Aburaya Osome) is correct.

And thank you for reading the series title!

Subject:Re: Ukiyo-e woodblock
Posted By: Horst Graebner Fri, Jul 24, 2026

I have taken another look at the three prints in my database.
"出せ候" is probably not correct after all.
Here are the other two prints.
"幼椎だち おせい(?) くらべ" und "幼椎だち お精 竸" ??





Subject:Re: Ukiyo-e woodblock
Posted By: I.Nagy Fri, Jul 24, 2026

Thank you very much for providing us with the other two prints from the same series from your database for comparison purposes.

First, let's take a look at the inscription for the series title on the bottom print.It seems certain that it's 幼稚だち 出精 競 - Yojidachi shussei kurabe - the term “shussei kurabe” means “to do one’s best or compete with all one’s might.”
In semi-cursive or cursive script, the writer often has a habit of leaving the final stroke of the character “出” a bit upward to the side.
Depending on the context,- upper print - this can look very similar to the hiragana character “お”
That is exactly the case here.

Let's take a look at the upper print,
幼稚だち 出せゐ くらべ - Yojidachi shussei kurabe - It is the very same series title.

Looking at the picture posted by Stevers, I thought that the “ゐ”kana might be a shortened form of “候,” which led me a bit off track.
(https://codh.rois.ac.jp/char-shape/unicode/U+5019/)

Regards,
I.Nagy

Subject:Re: Ukiyo-e woodblock
Posted By: Horst Graebner Sat, Jul 25, 2026

That’s the solution; I wouldn’t have come up with "出" on my own. Many thanks!


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