Title : Momo chidori kyoka-awase 百千鳥狂歌合 (Myriad Birds: A Kyoka Competition)

Artist : Kitagawa Utamaro

Date : 1790 (ca.)

Details : More information...

Source : British Museum
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Description : Illustrated book, folding album, colour woodblock print. 2 volumes. Poetry contest on theme of birds. Covers: Original, yellow, ?stencil-printed with darker yellow peonies. Title slips: Original, printed on yellow slips pasted in top left corner of covers. Contents: (vol. 1) 10 leaves: 1 double-page preface, 8 double-page illustrations of birds and flowers, 1 double page of advertisement and publisher's colophon; (vol. 2) 9 leaves: 1 double-page preface, 7 double-page illustrations of birds and flowers, 1 double page of advertisement and publisher's colophon (same as vol 1). Illustrations and makes of poets (Vol 1, each page described right to left): 1. Quail (uzura), Tsuburi Hikaru. Skylark (hibari), Zeniya Kinrachi; 2. Penduline tit (yamagara), Ki no Sadamaru. Bush warbler (uguisu), Sunawachi Yuyu; 3. Barn swallow (tsubame), Sakezuki no Komendo. Male pheasant (kiji), Kiri Hitoha; 4. Yellow-billed grosbeak (mamemawashi), Akera Kanko. Male white-backed pecker (kitsutsuki), Shino no Tamawaku; 5. Long-tailed tit (enaga), Magaki no Kikumaru. Japanese white-eye (mejiro), Tawara Funazumi; 6. Copper pheasant (yamadori), Monaka no Tsukimaro. White wagtail (sekirei), Mantokusai; 7. Winter wren (misosazai), Karagoromo Kisshu. Snipe (shigi), Senkyaku Banrai; 8. Domestic fowl (niwatori), Yadoya no Meshimori. Meadow bunting (hojiro), Ashibe Tazumaru. (Vol 2): 9. Scops owl (mimizuku), Ichi no Nakazumi. Bullfinch (uso), Sasaha no Suzunari; 10. Cormorant (u), Torai Sanna. Egret (sagi), Shikatsube no Magao; 11. Great tit (shijukara), Takara no Atsumaru. Japanese robin (komadori), Fumoto no Chikamichi; 12. Tree sparrow (murasuzume), Aya no Orinushi. Rock dove (hato), Sono no Kocho; 13. Jay (kashidori), Oya no Urazumi. Boreal owl (fukuro), Shingoken Birin; 14. Mallard (kamo), Honen Yukimaru. Common kingfisher (kawasemi), Sandara Boshi; 15. Goshawk (taka), Akamatsu Kinkei. Thick-billed shrike (mozu), Hyakkisai. With gauffrage. Inscribed, signed and sealed.

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