Posted by Dick Illing on August 26, 2001 at 08:53:32:
In Reply to: Osaka print - Sadahiro II posted by Guy Pepermans on August 26, 2001 at 05:33:01:
Guy: Nice print! The title would seem to read Mitate Jikkan, loosely translated as 'analogies for the ten celestial stems'. The 'celestial' or 'elemental' stems were used in conjunction with the twelve zodiacal branches to form the sexagenary dating system borrowed by the Japanese from the Chinese. The subtitle in the circular cartouche reads Kinoe and is the first of the Jikkan. I cannot make out the first character in the label at bottom left but the hiragana below appear to read no-se-i. I'm afraid the role of the actor holding a branch of flowering cherry escapes me. I will be interested to see the views of others.