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I finally took the time to decipher the signature on a print I bought on eBay a few years ago. It turns out the artist is a rather obscure one, Hishikawa Goshichi. Lane has just a line or two about him and I found about as much online.

Does anyone know anymore about him?

Also, the print is rather large - about 13" X 16". I've never seen an early 19th century print in the "Dai-oban" format. Was that done for maybe some special surimono?

It has all the appearances of genuine print from that era, it's just a rather rare artist and size.

Any imput anybody?

(I'll post a photo shortly)

I think that you refer to Harukawa Goshichi (1776-c. early 1830s) who was an Edo print designer and book illustrator and later moved to Kyoto. Goshichi designed a small number of surimono and shunga. Starting in 1814, he produced hosoban-format kappazuri (nerimono-e) for the annual Gion Festival costume parades in Kyoto.

Guy

Yeah, "Hishikawa" is the rendering that Gobbi gives in his reference "Hon" (a really handy book, BTW, if you can find it), but he's the only one that reads it that way, from what I can tell.

Roberts has a listing of Harukawa Goshichi,who, if it's the right Goshichi, is described as "a late follower of the Utamaro manner". Which, seems about right.

Any ideas about the size, though? I can't see any hint of a splice or joint in the paper - though the chain lines are rather pronounced. But I've never seen another print of that age anywhere near that size.

Do I need to get out more, or is that a rather peculiar format for an Edo-era print?

Oh, I take that back.

Self and Hirose render it as "Hishikawa Goshichi" too.

Hmmmm...

The reading in Gobbi and Self & Hirose is erroneous and probably based on an earlier source which reads "Harukawa" wrongly as "Hishikawa".
Cfr. the signature "Harukawa Goshichi hitsu" on a surimono in the MFA Boston at the link below (you can zoom the image).

The 13" x 16" format (33 x 40 cm) approaches a full 'kobôsho' sheet (this is for nishiki-e the 'aibaiban' format - 33 x 47 cm).

Could you post the image and if possible a detail of the signature?

Guy.

URL Title :Goshichi surimono MFA Boston

Thanks for the link to the surimono.
Thats the same signature. Here's the print:

Yep, the same elongated signature that reads "Harukawa Goshichi hitsu" 春川五七筆).

Not in the best condition but surely an interesting rare piece. Also, the format that you mentioned is surprising.

Guy.

Yeah, I'm thinking that, given the horizontal creases, it was likely originally mounted as a Kakejiku. The size IS kinda remarkable to you too?

Sorry for posting the pics sideways. Just got in too much of a hurry...

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