A photographic introduction to items from the collection

“Shokunin Fuzoku Emaki” and “Rakuchu-Rakugai-zu Byobu Rekihaku F Book”

Shokunin Fuzoku Emaki

As described in the special feature of the current issue, since the start of the modern era, many genre paintings, which look like close-up pictures of people in the part taken from the Rakuchu-Rakugai-zu Byobu, have been painted. The “Shokunin Fuzoku Emaki” is one of such paintings. It is a scroll painting showing various craftsmen placed in the town houses along the roads in a city which looks like being partially cut out. (Figs. 1, 2)

Beginning of “Shokunin Fuzoku Emaki”

Fig. 1 Beginning of “Shokunin Fuzoku Emaki” Yumi-ya, Kumi-ya, Uchiwa-ya, Tsukamaki-ya and Heni-ya from the right

Types of craftsmen

First, the craftsmen painted in the scroll painting are introduced. One shop for each of the 24 types of crafts is shown and named as follows:

Yumi-ya (bow shop), Kumi-ya (braided rope shop), Uchiwa-ya (Japanese fan shop), Tsukamaki-ya (sword handle wrapping shop), Heni-ya (dye shop), Setomono-ya (china shop), Koto-ya (Japanese harp shop), Yahaki (arrow making), Kasahari (umbrella making), Kakamiya (mirror shop), Makimono-ya (piece goodsmade to order shop), Kutsu-ya (shoe shop), Somen-ya (Japanese noodle shop), Yari-ya (spear shop), Ehoshi-ya (old Japanese hat shop), Himono-ya (cypress woodcraft shop), Nuimono-ya (tailoring shop), Fude-ya, Juzu-ya (bead shop), Afuki-ya (fan shop), Mari-ya (ball shop), Utsuho-ya (arrow bag shop), Tachi-ya (sword shop), Tahako-ya (tobacco shop)

At the end of the scroll painting, the row of town houses ends with the “Tabako-ya”. At the beginning, the row of shops starts suddenly. Therefore, we cannot know what was there before the row of shops. In many byobu paintings of craftsmen, 24 types of crafts are included. It seems that it is not by accident that the current state of this material shows 24 types of crafts.

One of the famous byobu paintings is “Shokunin zukushi-e” from the early Edo period, which is owned by Kita-in (Kawagoe city). (Our Museum also holds some similar paintings.) The crafts common to those painted in “Shokunin Fuzoku Emaki” are bow making, Yahaki, umbrella making, cypress woodcraft, tailoring, brush craft, bead craft and fan making. In the “Shokunin Fuzoku Emaki” paintings in the later periods, new genres such as tobacco shop, in addition to the traditional types, were introduced, resulting in the content of the current paintings.

End of “Shokunin Fuzoku Emaki”

Fig. 2 End of “Shokunin Fuzoku Emaki” Utsuho-ya, Tachi-ya, Tabako-ya from the right

People on the streets

In addition to the craftsmen, many people are painted on the streets. Their names are not given, but the following crafts are shown.

Kanetataki, Shishimai (Fig. 3), Biwahoshi, Shiba-uri, Yamabushi, Zori-uri, Kugutsu (puppeteer), Komuso, Hacchogane (a kind of prayer to the Buddha) (Fig.4), Saruhiki (monkey showman), cotton seller (?), Kouyahijiri, oil seller and bamboo seller. In addition, a seller of goods using a scale, kago shouldering laborers, luggage toting people, people passing on horses or on foot, etc. are painted.

It seems that various occupations were painted on the streets with interests similar to those in the crafts inside the shops. Many of them are also shown in the Rakuchu-Rakugai-zu Byobu, implying some links with the Rakuchu-Rakugai-zu Byobu.

Shishimai and Setomono-ya Hacchogane

Fig. 3 Shishimai and Setomono-ya

Fig. 4 Hacchogane

Rakuchu-Rakugai-zu Byobu “Rekihaku F Book”

In this respect, it is noted that it is similar to the “Rekihaku F Book” (Fig. 5) owned by the National Museum of Japanese History. The cityscapes and people are painted in a similar fashion (Fig. 6). Since it is obvious that some images such as Shishimai (Fig. 7) were painted based on the same funpon (model painting) (Figs. 3 and 7), they can be regarded as having been made in the same workshop.

The Rekihaku F Book is one of the mass-produced Rakuchu-Rakugai-zu Byobu screens. There are at least four other similar byobu screens. Since the contents in the paintings on the screens have some differences, they were not completely copied but were made independently. However, the basic contents and the way of painting people are identical, and it is obvious that they were made in the same workshop.

“Rakuchu-Rakugai-zu Byobu” Rekihaku F Book, left seki (screen)

Fig. 5 “Rakuchu-Rakugai-zu Byobu” Rekihaku F Book, left seki (screen)

Relations with Sumiyoshi Gukei

Concerning what type of workshop it was, actually, it is self-explanatory. In the Rekihaku F Book, a seal “by Hogan Gukei” is shown. The seal may have been indicated in the later period, but in the other byobu screen similar to the F Book, a seal “by Hogan Gukei” is shown. Therefore, it is considered that the seal was affixed at the time of painting.

“Hogan Gukei” is Sumiyoshi Gukei (1631 to 1705). He became Okueshi (Shogun’s painter) for the Government of Edo and belonged to one group of Yamatoe. The Rekihaku F Book is too mediocre to be his painting and the seal on it seems slightly different from his own one. It can be said, however, that “Shokunin Fuzoku Emaki” has a constitution similar to the “Rakuchu-Rakugai Zumaki” (owned by Tokyo National Museum, Fig. 8), which is known as Sumiyoshi Gukei’s magnum opus, and “Tohizukan” (owned by Konbuin temple (Nara city)). Also, the painting area of Rekihaku F Book is basically divided by lateral golden clouds. In other words, the painting area is made up in such a manner as to vertically align picture scrolls. There is a possibility that the workshop had some links with or was under the influence of Sumiyoshi Gukei and used Gukei as the brand.

Cityscape and people in the Rekihaku F Book Shishimai in the Rekihaku F Book

Fig. 6 Cityscape and people in the Rekihaku F Book

Fig. 7 Shishimai in the Rekihaku F Book

Share and buyers

In any case, this workshop has the largest “share” of the existing Rakuchu-Rakugai-zu Byobu screens, and there is no doubt that this type of city genre painting was mass produced. Then, they should have been constantly in demand. What type of people bought them? This “Shokunin Fuzoku Emaki” is brilliant and stunning, and it doesn’t seem to be inexpensive at all. It is supposed that high-class samurai families and court nobles, temples and shrines, townsmen of importance, etc. enjoyed the genre paintings. Most of the characters written in “Shokunin Fuzoku Byobu” are Hiragana, and it seems that they were made for women. It is known that Rakuchu-Rakugai-zu Byobu was popular for trousseaus, and there is a possibility that this was also used for a trousseau.

Kojima Michihiro (Research Department, National Museum of Japanese History/Medieval and modern history)