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Japanese Prints @ St. Kate's: Selections from the Archives & Special Collections at St. Catherine University

Depiction of an Official Hearing at Fukiage, B: Detail

Contents of this annotation:

Part of a triptych (center). Two women (shogunal concubines?) are presenting a case to an official at Fukiage, a manor in the private section of Edo Castle. Additional notes: Signed Yōshū Chikanobu (楊洲周延) with unidentified circular seal on right panel; Publisher's seal: Fukuda Kumajirō (福田熊次郎) in a fish-shaped seal; Blockcutter's seal present, but the last character is unidentified. Appears to read Umezawa (梅澤). This is from the 1897 companion series to Chiyoda Inner Palace (Chiyoda no Ōoku), titled Chiyoda Outer Palace (Chiyoda no on-omote). It consists of 32 scenes depicts life outside the Ōoku and even outside Edo, showing activities which Chikanobu may have participated in when he was part of the shogun's retinue. This set, too, while more authentic because of Chikanobu's personal experiences, is also an artistic representation, and focuses on the elite side of life in the late Edo period.