Tit and Bush Warbler (uguisu)
Artist
Kitagawa Utamaro I 喜多川 歌麿
(Japanese, early 1750s–1806)
Publisherpublished by
Kōshodō 耕書堂
(Japanese, 1750–1797)
Dateabout 1791
Mediumwoodblock, ink and color on paper
Dimensions22.9 x 34.4 cm (9 x 13 9/16 in.)
ClassificationsPrints
Credit LineJohn Chandler Bancroft Collection
Object number1901.59.2547
DescriptionDouble- page illustration: Birds: Perhaps the Penduline Tit, Remiz Pendulimus; Japanese Bush Warbler, Cettia diphoneLabel TextYadoya no Meshimori (1753–1830), the founder of the Go-gawa kyoka poetry society, along with the publisher-poet Tsutaya Jusaburo, encouraged their friend, the artist-poet Kitagawa Utamaro, to provide illustrations of birds to accompany choice humorous verses (kyoka) to be published as the album "Myriad Birds: A Kyoka Competition." This double-page illustration complements two kyoka. One verse is about a yamagara (Varied Tit; Parus varius)-here mistakenly depicted to resemble a Penduline Tit (tsurisu-gara)-seen landing on a cherry blossom branch: Not a sign of you / do I find / in your bed tonight alone and sad / I am but a yamagara in love. Kimi wa toko o / monuke no kurumi / ware bakari / chikara otoshi no / koi no yamagara Ki no Sadamaru The other (left) is about the Japanese Bush Warbler (uguisu), known for its solitary life and melodious, plaintive songs: Near the eaves / I hear the warbler / sing a song of envy / He must be watching us / my lover and me. Noki chikaku / fufu to tsuguru / hitokoe wa / waga koinaka o / mitaka uguisu Sunawachi YuyuProvenanceJohn Chandler Bancroft Collection
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