Kiyochika: Irate Teacher from the ABCs of Education

Artist: Kobayashi Kiyochika (1847-1915)
Title: The Syllable Ri  Series: An Alphabet Soup of Moral Issues (Kyôiku iroha dango)  Date: Ca. 1897

The syllable “Ri”, from the series known as “An Alphabet Soup of Moral Issues” (Kyôiku iroha dango), also translated as “ABCs of Education”. 

We see a teacher so irate at his student that there appear to be lasers blasting from his eyeballs, causing the child kneeling in front of him to shed a tear. We also see a second student, who bears an undecipherable expression with what looks like a lolling tongue.

The series illustrates didactic poetry in the order of the iroha syllabary, with the accompanying text by Koppi Dôjin (Nishimori Takeki), one of the main comic writers for the Kiyochika-illustrated Marumaru Chinbun. Smith notes that there are 21 prints, but the album in the National Diet Library contains only 18. One may guess that the primary subject is the Meiji Government’s ongoing policies of education reform.

Condition: Very good impression, color and condition. .
Dimensions: ôban (37.2 x 25 cm)
Signature: Kiyochika

SKU: KYC485