'Strength' : Group 3

Data

'Strength' : Group 3
Matchlabel print   (Part of the set: Prints on the Theme of 'Strength')


Ippinkai
1936

4.00 cm
6.00 cm

00111-003
https://mokuhankan.com/collection/index.php?id_for_display=00111-003

Print is Public Domain; Photography is:   Creative Commons License

Description

The prints are numbered from top-to-bottom, left-to-right.

Print 32: Titled 力持 (chikara-mochi, "a powerful man") and signed by 山内秋雨 (Yamauchi Akisame). A man seems to be holding a circular weight on the end of the pole, showing his strength. Chikara-mochi (a type of weight-lifting), which appears to have started in the Edo period, was a performing art which also gave strong workers the opportunity to show off.
Print 33: Similarly titled 力持 (chikara-mochi, "a powerful man") and signed by 柳家奈壽男 (Yanagiya Nasuo). A man balances bricks and a straw rice bag on his shoulder.
Print 34: Titled 腕押 (ude-oshi, "arm wrestling") and signed by 町田幸楽 (Machida Koraku). A self-explanatory print.
Print 35: Titled 大海戦の信號 (daikaisen no shingo, "confidence in a naval battle") and signed by 青柳猛雄 (Aoyagi Takeo). The writing in the print reads 皇国の興廃此一戦 ("the rise and fall of the empire; this one battle"). This is probably a reference to Admiral Togo's raising of this flag (which usually signifies a need for tug assistance) during the 1905 Battle of Tsushima against Russia to convey to Japanese soldiers that the fate of Japan rested on the outcome of the battle.
Print 36: Titled 要石 (kaname-ishi, "spirit stone") and signed by 澤田佳香 (Sawada Keika). A catfish is forced down by a "spirit stone" in this print. "Spirit stones" were typically large rocks buried deep underground (with only the very top visible) said to keep a giant catfish at bay (giant catfish are said to cause earthquakes in Japanese mythology).
Print 37 (blank spot): This print was supposed to be submitted by 三宅松影 (Miyake Matsukage), but was not submitted in time for the publishing of the set (hence, there is no print pictured).
Print 38: Titled 臼に杵 (usu ni kine, "mallet on mortar") and signed by 清水脩次 (Shimizu Shuji). A mallet and mortar used for pounding steamed rice into mochi rice cakes are pictured.
Print 39: Titled 天岩戸(amanoiwato, "holy rock cave") and signed by 島田淡舟 (Shimada Tanshu). Here we see Japanese deity Ame-no-tajikarao using his mighty strength to pull Amaterasu, the goddess of the sun, out from the cave where she has been hiding, returning light to the world.
Print 40: Titled バッター (batta, "batter") and signed by 廣瀬榮彌 (Hirose Sakaiya). A baseball player steels himself to hit a home run.
Print 41: Titled 力持 (chikara-mochi, "a powerful man") and signed by 杉政湘雲 (Sugimasa Shoun). A man lifts a straw rice bag above his head in a display of strength.
Print 42: Titled 討入の掛矢 (uchiiri no kakeya, "wooden maul of the raid") and signed by 寶田直 (Takarada Nao). A kakeya (wooden maul) is pictured in front of a large gate, referencing the Forty-Seven Ronins' use of a kakeya to force open Kira's gate and fulfil their mission of vengeance.
Print 43: Titled 刀鍛冶 (katana-kaji, "swordsmith") and signed by 古谷蘭溪 (古屋蘭渓, Furuya Rankei). Here we see the tools used by a swordsmith in forging a new blade.

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'Strength' : Group 2
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