File:Print (BM 1909,0618,0.65 1).jpg

Height: 36.30 centimetres

Width: 23.70 centimetres

Asano and Clark 1995

A series of eight full-figure portraits of Yoshiwara courtesans likened to eight Taoist immortals (sennin) of China. The series title contains a punning reference to the traditional subject "Eight Drunken Immortals" (Inchu hassen), and the actual eight immortals chosen follows a lineage dating from the Han dynasty. All prints in the series have yellow backgrounds.

All eight designs are known. In addition to this print and Asano and Clark 1995, no. 124, these are: "Kinko: Hinazuru of the Chojiya, [kamuro:] Tsuruji, Tsuruno" (Kinko, Chojiya uchi Hinazuru, Tsuruji, Tsuruno), "Tsugen: Hanabito of the Ogiya, [kamuro:] Sakura, Momiji" (Tsugen, Ogiya uchi Hanabito, Sakura, Momiji), "Tekkai: Hanaogi of the Ogiya, [kamuro:] Yoshino, Tatsuta" (Tekkai, Ogiya uchi Hanaogi, Yoshino, Tatsuta), "Ryo Dohin: Hanazuma of the Hyogoya, [kamuro:] Sakura, Nioi" (Ryo Dohin, Hyogoya uchi Hanazuma, Sakura, Nioi), "Ro Go: Mimasakayama of the Chojiya, [kamuro:] Chidori, Midori" (Ro Go, Chojiya uchi Mimasakayama, Chidori, Midori), "Gama: Hanamurasaki of the Tamaya, [kamuro:] Shirabe, Matsuno" (Gama, Tamaya uchi Hanamurasaki, Shirabe, Matsuno). Comparing these names to the ‘Yoshiwara saiken’ guides, apart from Hanamurasaki's ‘kamuro’, they all appear from the spring edition, 1794 onwards. To find these particular names of Hanamurasaki's ‘kamuro’, one has to go back to the spring edition of 1793. But it seems unrealistic to think that the series took as much as six months to complete. So there must have been a mistake made in one of the editions of ‘Yoshiwara saiken’. Stylistically speaking, a date of spring, 1794 would be most appropriate.

Seiobo (Chinese: Xiwangmu), the Queen Mother of the West, was a female immortal said to have lived for three thousand years after she ate peaches of immortality. In the current design it is the dish piled high with peaches carried by the ‘kamuro’ which makes the connection with Seiobo for the viewer. In addition certain elements such as Takigawa's hair ornaments, the round fan she carries and the incense-burner on the stand behind are deliberately drawn in Chinese style. Concerning Takigawa, see the commentary to Asano and Clark 1995, no. 149.

Literature: Shibui, Kiyoshi 渋井清, 'Ukiyo-e zuten, vol. 13: Utamaro' 「ウキヨエ図典13 歌麿」, Kazama Shobo, Tokyo, 1964, pl. 134-1-1. "Kitagawa Utamaro sakuhin mokuroku" 「喜多川歌麿作品目録」, 'Ukiyo-e shuka', 「浮世絵聚花」, vol. 3 (Bosuton Bijutsukan III ボストン美術館３), Shogakkan, Tokyo, 1978, pp. 235-254, pl. 83-1. 'Ukiyo-e shuka' 「浮世絵聚花」, vol. 11, Shogakkan, Tokyo, 1978-85, pl. 129.

Other impressions: The Japan ‘Ukiyoe’ Museum 日本浮世絵博物館, Matsumoto.

[Main text translated in Japanese below / 以下上記本文日本語訳]

浅野／クラーク　1995

中国の八仙に見立てた遊女絵の8枚揃。揃物名の「艶中八仙」は「飲中八仙」のもじりであるが、八仙の内容は漢の八仙系の見立となっている。背景黄漬し。

この図と浅野／クラーク　1995、第124図のほか、「琴高　丁子屋内雛鶴　つるし　つるの」「通玄　あふぎ屋内花人　さくら　もみち」「鉄拐　扇屋内花扇　よしの　たつた」「呂洞賓　兵庫屋内花妻　さくら　にほひ」「盧敖　丁子屋内美作山　ちとり　みとり」「蝦蟇　玉屋内花紫　しらへ　まつの」の8図である。吉原細見と照合すると、花紫の禿名以外は寛政6年春版以降の細見に合致する。花紫の禿名が一致するのは寛政5年春版までさかのぼらなくてはいけない。しかし、完結に半年もかかったとするのは現実的でなく、どちらかの編集上のミスと考えられる。様式を考慮し、寛政5年冬頃制作、翌6年春頃刊と考えるのが自然であろう。