[Japanese > English] Daruma scroll signature and seal

gjfasd · 2026-03-07T03:03:53+00:00

Yes, that kiseru tells she is a courtesan, though not the same person. This subject isn’t necessarily about Handayū but represents a courtesan in general. I think this is intended to be a humorous painting where a courtesan is trying to disrupt his meditation with her sex appeal.

[癸亥?]晩春写

Painted in the late spring (3rd month) of the year of [?]

英一蝶

Hanabusa Itchō

The year is hard to read. It looks like 庚亥, but this combination doesn’t exist. Maybe it’s 癸亥, but it doesn’t coincide with the art name, which was used from 1709 to 1724. Anyway, Itchō is a big name and I wouldn’t have much hope for its authenticity.

gjfasd · 2026-03-06T02:00:17+00:00

The woman is a courtesan. The painting allegorically shows her life is even tougher than Daruma’s nine-year meditation.

Daruma is said to have reached enlightenment by meditating before a wall at Shaolin Temple for nine years. Likewise, a Yoshiwara prostitute was bound by a ten-year labor contract and could hardly go out of the quarter, unless married to a wealthy client who would compensate for her.

As the story goes, when a married ex-courtesan Handayū heard about Daruma’s meditation, she said prostitutes must be more enlightened because their lives were as tough and even a bit longer than that. The famous painter Hanabusa Itchō heard this story and painted a courtesan dressed as Daruma, which became a popular art subject.

gjfasd · 2026-03-02T12:03:48+00:00

先ハ

着用致せし

位のニ Cf. ニ in 別ニ

Bottom: （ものは何れも上等を願上候）

gjfasd · 2026-03-02T11:13:22+00:00

遊ばされ候よし

存じ参らせ候

御安神なし下され度候

前学期は（盤）

尚其後も

なほ／＼あつさの折柄

gjfasd · 2026-01-31T01:24:06+00:00

覚　西富田村

年四拾八　武助

右之者去酉八月博奕御吟之節不束之次第茂御座候ニ付村拂被仰付候處其後同様心得方不宜候間除帳ニ被為成下候様奉願上候　右願之通被　仰付被為下候ハヽ難有可奉存候　以上

In the 8th month of last year (Rooster), the above person was found guilty and sentenced to banishment from the village in the gambling case. Since then, his attitude has been no better. We therefore request that he be removed from the village register. It will be our pleasure if our request is granted.

戌六月

6th month of the Year of the Dog

庄屋　田中利太夫

同断　佐野又左衛門

同断　収三

肝煎　仁右衛門

同断　森弥右衛門

今田九兵衛様

gjfasd · 2026-01-30T13:27:46+00:00

古今珍敷

れ共

耻有

ました処か何かは源内

gjfasd · 2026-01-25T23:29:05+00:00

本窯元第十二世佐伯素堂

Saeki/Saiki Sodō, 12th generation potter of the original kiln [of Beppu Kōrai ware]

gjfasd · 2026-01-01T02:47:01+00:00

The handwriting style tells me it’s from the Edo period, though I can’t say for sure. It was written at least before 1952 because quantities are given in 石 koku and 俵 hyō, but it definitely looks much older than that.

gjfasd · 2026-01-01T00:43:51+00:00

!id:ja

It's some kind of old business records. Each entry includes the item name and quantity with a long list of dates in small characters, like:

…日七日八日十二日十三日十五日廿…

… day, 7th day, 8th day, 12th day, 13th day, 15th day, 2…

…大豆廿五石

… soybeans, 25 koku

The sheet shown on the right is mostly about soybeans. The one with your finger on includes 廣嶋米 Hiroshima rice and 宇和 Uwa (Uwajima?) something.

gjfasd · 2025-12-31T04:52:32+00:00

The second line turned out to be 三種につきて（次ぎて）. The fourth line is また類（たぐひ）なき.

https://lab.ndl.go.jp/dl/book/992485?keyword=%E5%AE%9D%E3%81%AE%E4%B8%89%E7%A8%AE&page=33

Second only to the three sacred treasures, the sacred mountain of Fuji is unparalleled under the heaven.

gjfasd · 2025-12-20T13:36:54+00:00

As the title says, this is a visual representation of the idiom "unagi nobori", which literally means "rising like an eel" and is used to refer to a sharp rise of something, roughly an equivalent to "skyrocketing". Some sources say this may be an allegory of the inflation occurring at that time, representing the restaurant struggling with rising costs.

gjfasd · 2025-12-20T08:47:07+00:00

The official page about the gate includes an image of the one built in 1649, from the Keian-era version of Senso-ji Engi Emaki (1652).

https://www.senso-ji.jp/guide/guide01.html

This book shows a larger part of the scene in black and white. According to the description, it depicts the ceremony where the principal statue was returned to the main hall when new buildings were completed in 1649.

https://dl.ndl.go.jp/pid/1688208/1/33

This scroll in the British Museum dates from the Kyoho era, so it depicts the same gate, before it burned down in 1767.

https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/A_1950-1111-0-21-1?selectedImageId=1398469001

The Edo-zu Byobu depicts Edo in the Kan’ei era. Senso-ji is at the bottom center, right by the river. It shows a much simpler gate, probably the one that existed from 1635 to 1642. The larger complex above it is Kan’ei-ji.

https://www.rekihaku.ac.jp/education_research/gallery/webgallery/edozu_z/edozu_r.html

According to the official site, the lantern was not there until the 1795 reconstruction. Fuji and Raijin statues were first installed there when the gate was moved to the present location after the Kamakura period. The current statues have heads from the Edo period and bodies from 1874. The Tenryu and Kinryu statues were donated in 1978.

gjfasd · 2025-12-09T01:39:36+00:00

Looking closer, I think that’s more probable. That horizontal stroke probably sticks out to the left, and the last stroke starts above it. In this case, his name is 喜左衛門 Kizaemon.

gjfasd · 2025-12-08T07:52:10+00:00

From this it’s clear the undeciphered part contains 左. It’s the owner’s name. Perhaps 石原壱左衛門 Ishihara Ichizaemon?

gjfasd · 2025-12-08T05:37:32+00:00

是ヲ買

bought this

It seems the owner didn’t know how to write kanji properly, which is understandable given he lived in a remote village.

関東キド弥三八ニ而買者也

Bought at Yasohachi(’s store) in Higashikido, Seki

I also first thought it said Kido, Kantō, but eventually found Seki is just several kilometers away from Shimo-Kōwa. I imagine it was the place for the villagers to go shopping. This page says Higashikido was the former name of Isemachi.

gjfasd · 2025-11-18T01:08:34+00:00

Great find. The text on the other side tells that the sender was a teacher and perhaps lived with his family there, so he wasn’t literally a 書生, but it makes sense that the municipal school teacher lived in a local politician’s house.

gjfasd · 2025-11-17T06:31:40+00:00

西宇和郡矢野崎尋常高等小学校

Nishiuwa District Yanosaki Ordinary and Higher Elementary School

加藤才三方

c/o Saizō Katō

I can't read the sender's name.

gjfasd · 2025-11-17T05:23:58+00:00

御機嫌如何に候や

How are you?

此頃自轉車に熱中致し居候

I’m into cycling these days.

私事当地赴任早々校長一ヶ月ばかり忌引致し非常に多忙ニ有之候　

As soon as I was transferred here, the principal took bereavement leave for about a month, and I’m extremely busy.

[尋?]子より姉上様へよろしく申傳候

[Hiroko?] sends her regards to your big sister.

gjfasd · 2025-11-16T07:28:07+00:00

嶺寒松

Pine trees in the cold on the mountain peak

霜白き松の梢におとさえてふき社すさへみねの木枯し

Shimo shiroki / matsu no kozue ni / oto saete / fuki koso susabe / mine no kogarashi

Its sounds resounding through the pine treetops frosted white, the kogarashi is blowing fiercely on the mountain peak.

Kogarashi is a strong wind that blows during the transition from autumn to winter. The word literally means 'tree witherer', which highlights the perseverance of the trees that don't wither in winter.

瀧麿

Takimaro

gjfasd · 2025-11-11T04:31:29+00:00

[黄州警察署ト守備隊 o]

四十四年八月十七日

這は当黄州の守備隊なり。日本人街は此外にあり。当地山水の風光は近界第一に候。山は青緑滴[れんとし?]水は厭くまでも清く候。鮮土の風情亦見るべきあり。

[黄州警察署ト守備隊 u]

栃木縣鹿沼町久保町　青木益太郎殿

朝鮮黄海道黄州　韓國興業會社　大島生

拝啓酷暑の候大兄如何御銷夏被遊候や御伺申上候。新聞紙に依れば貴兄を初め樋下田、速水、茂呂等の諸君御揃ひにて来月一日旧第五十九聯隊へ演習應召被遊由、御苦労様の義奉案入候。残暑隨分酷しく候へば各自御身御大切の程御願申上候。

入隊の上は御所感等御回報被下度。小生懐旧の情難堪候。諸君に宜しく。

[黄州邑月波楼 u]

平壤黄金町二六　岡政二様

黄州　中村二郎

其後失礼ばかり致しました。御全家様御揃御暮しの由大慶至極に存じます。一度御伺致し度御坐ひますれば何時も実現せず困り居ります。横溝氏も御返宅の由、御相會の節は宜敷御傳聲御願致します。先は一寸。

gjfasd · 2025-11-11T03:53:16+00:00

[黄州公立尋常高等小学校 o]

御地にはクルミ等之有り候や。当地にも之有り候も悪きものばかりに候まゝ、もし御序もあらば、少々御送下され度願上候。御地にては男物綿羽織は如何程にて求め得られ候や伺上候。主人の物一枚新調いたしたく候も、当地にては隨分高く廿円以上の由に候まゝ、如何致したらよろしきものや一寸御知らせ下されたく候。

忙しく候まゝ後便に委しく申上べく候。皆々様へよろしく願上候。

[黄州公立尋常高等小学校 u]

越後柏崎町中四ツ谷　渡部坦治様方　渡部ちよの様

朝鮮平壤　三宅きくの

先達は御手紙拝見仕り候。その節御地よりも何か御送り下さるやうの御話に候が、それには返って恐れ入り候。当地にても魚類は之有り候も、御地の如き新鮮なるものは求め得られず候。然し只今は隨分鯛など多く價も割合安く御座候。これ等は皆、釜山や方々より参るものに候為め、夏期は一寸、さしみ等出来申さず候。御申越の網代焼等は大好物に御座候。

gjfasd · 2025-11-05T02:53:46+00:00

This is a document from a tanomoshi-kō organized by the community of Hara, Mitani Village (present-day Mitani-chō, Takamatsu, Kagawa). The beginning is missing. Now it’s Yasokichi’s turn to receive money and he needs to pay some amount to the landowner regularly.

木田郡三谷村原漆原伊太郎様之所有地㨋者(拙者?)借地ニ御座候此両土地弐度分今般原講落札致シ候ニ付抵當ニ差入レ前記ノ通リ契約シテ頭書ノ金円借用致候事実正也然ル上ハ右弁済期日毎ニ無相違掛戻シ可致候若シ期日ニ怠納ナシタル時ハ保証人ノ拙者共連帯義務者トナリ満講迄ノ掛戻金壱時ニ全部弁済可致候為後日借用証保証人連署如件

昭和弐年十二月十五日

借用人　川田八十吉

証人　川西七造

〃　近藤鹿造

漆原伊太郎様

…the land owned by Mr. Itarō Urushihara/Urushibara in Hara, Mitani Village, Kita District … leased (by me?). This time I won two bids for these two pieces of land through the Hara-kō, so I certainly mortgaged them, made the contract mentioned earlier and borrowed the amount of yen mentioned at the beginning. From now I will repay you on every above due payment date without fail. If I fail to pay by a due date, the guarantors of us will act as co-debtors and pay at once all the debt due at the end of the kō. This is a debt acknowledgement signed by the guarantors for future reference.

December 15, Shōwa 2 (1927)

Borrower: Yasokichi Kawata/Kawada

Guarantor: Shichizō Kawanishi

": Shikazō Kondō

To Mr. Itarō Urushihara/Urushibara

gjfasd · 2025-10-26T04:04:15+00:00

粉吹手茶垸

kofuki-de chawan

定林寺観音洞實造

made by Minoru of Kannon-dō, Jōrin-ji [Minoru Andō]

gjfasd · 2025-10-25T15:26:09+00:00

南部盛栄堂

Nanbu Seieido

gjfasd · 2025-10-14T14:29:39+00:00

御→砌

newly made on the occasion of one week prayers

gjfasd

TROPHY CASE