Horse-riding Equipment

…; collection Catherine Ball (collector's mark);…; purchased from the dealer Hasegawa, Japan, by J.H.W. Goslings (1943-2011), Epse, near Deventer, 1992;¹¹Coll. cat. Goslings 1999, p. 52, cat. no. 113 by whom donated to the museum, 1995

ObjectNumber: RP-P-1995-288

Credit line: Gift of J.H.W. Goslings, Epse

Ise calenders, Isegoyomi, are a type of almanac sheet indicating which actions are either good, auspicious or to be avoided on certain days for people born in specific years. They originate from well before the Edo period. This advice was taken as the starting point for the various designs in this series. The dating to 1814 is based on the inclusion of a paperweight shaped as a puppy in another design from the set.

Although it may be assumed that this was actually quite a large series, only two other designs could be identified.

For others of the series, see:
Arrows, mallet and two bottles on stand;
Writing table -²²Keyes, Roger S., The Art of Surimono. Privately Published Japanese Woodblock Prints and Books in the Chester Beatty Library, Dublin, 2 vols. London: Sotheby’s Publications, 1985, p. 312.; MET JP 2140.

What are here loosely called 'Meiji-period facsimiles' actually refers to an ensemble of four distinct groups of facsimile impressions, mostly square surimono by various designers from blocks newly-cut after the originals. Most are faithful copies, almost unaltered, and include the same poems as the originals. Sometimes, however, the poetry was changed. One such group of 152 known designs was produced by Tsumura Isakichi of Akashi in the early 1890s (Group A). Another group, of which 62 designs are currently known, was offered for sale by Y. Kumegawa of Kobe (Group B). Group C comprises 49 designs, and Group D, 97 known designs. It is not known when the last three groups were produced. Keyes³³Keyes, Roger S., The Art of Surimono. Privately Published Japanese Woodblock Prints and Books in the Chester Beatty Library, Dublin, 2 vols. London: Sotheby’s Publications, 1985, pp. 509-21. provides the most detailed account of these facsimiles; see also Keyes, 'Copies of surimono', in: Ukiyo-e Studies and Pleasures, The Hague 1978, pp. 57-67.

Equestrian equipment comprised of a saddlecloth, fur leg-protectors for the rider, a mother-of-pearl inlaid saddle, a bamboo cane and a lacquered ladle for watering the horse.

The emblem of the Asakusagawa, or Tsubogawa, a stylised jar, tsubo, appears on the ladle. The title cartouche is also shaped as a jar.

Judging from the printing of especially the poetry, this initially appears to be a Meiji-period (1868-1912) facsimile (see below). However, this design does not appear in the lists of known facsimiles compiled by Keyes. As the series-title is definitely hand-stamped, it has been included in this catalogue.

Two poems by Kosentei Momoaki and Senpoan Kuramitsu.

The First Horse Riding, Umanorisome, from the series Ise Calenders for the Asakusagawa, Asakusagawa Isegoyomi.

Issued by the Asakusagawa (also known as Tsubogawa)
Signature reading: produced by, Shunman sei

M. Forrer, Surimono in the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, Leiden 2013, no. 222

M. Forrer, 2013, 'Kubota Shunman, Horse-riding Equipment, Japan, c. 1814', in Surimono from the Goslings Collection in the Rijksmuseum, online coll. cat. Amsterdam: hdl.handle.net/10934/RM0001.COLLECT.318703