Yoshitoshi: Competition of Drunks: Housewife and Ruffian (Sold)

Artist: Tsukioka Yoshitoshi
Title: Competition of Drunks: Housewife and Ruffian
Series: Comparison of Drunken Stupors (Kigen kurabe)
Date: 1885

A Poor Housewife (Kakâ) and A Ruffian (Gorotsuki). The houswife seems to gesture for a server, her string of coins untied and coins in her hand. A pot warms sake to the right, and before her is a plate of flatfish. Her back is half-covered, with fresh moxa burns exposed. Below is a large, fuming character who sits atop a stool, large sake bottle and sake cup in front of him on a raised platform. He wears a bright robe and yet looks quite malevolent. The prints in this rare series concern drunken conversations or monologues by people of various occupations. The writing is by Ryûtei Tanehiko (1783-1842), most famously the author of Nise Murasaki Inaka Genji. This was intended as a chûban series, but here is an uncut example of two designs.

Condition: Very good impression, color and condition. Minor backing remnants.
Dimensions: ôban
Publisher: Nogawa
Literature: Keyes numbers 470.18 and 470.20.
Signature: Ôju Yoshitoshi (giga?)

SKU: YOT727