Kiyochika: The Seductive Drinker (Sold)

Artist: Kobayashi Kiyochika 小林清親 
Title: The Seductive Drinker
Series: Twelve States of Mind Resulting from Drinking 酒機嫌十二相之内 Sake kigen jūnisō no uchi
Date: 1885

Kiyochika, who knew his way around a sake flask, has gifted us a set of twelve states of mind that result from drinking. Here we see a woman (the bar’s “older sister”, apparently) whose face and shoulders have flushed red from drinking and has let her clothing fall away from her body in a drunkenly suggestive manner. Her male companion, who has a sake bottle perched in front of him,  looks plainly dismayed, his face conveying complete disinterest. Apparently Kiyochika was a heavy drinker, but stopped drinking during the Sino-Japanese War and during that time he gave his sake money to the carvers and printers who had been called into service. The University of Vienna has transcribed the above cartouche into Romaji. A rather scarce series for some reason.

Condition: Excellent impression and color. Very good condition. Some minor wrinkles and a spot in the margin.
Dimensions: ôban (36.5 x 25.1 cm)
Publisher: Ogawa Takei
Signature: Kiyochika  ga

Literature: See Nishinomiya Digital Archives (Nishinomiya City Library).

SKU: KYC432