Yoshitoshi's 'Barometer of Emotions ( Seiu kandankei ) 1876-1877'

Introduction

The series 'Barometer of Emotions (Seiu kandankei )' features well known kabuki actors in diverse roles. Like many artists, Yoshitoshi produced kabuki prints early in his career. Most examples of his work in the genre date from the eary to mid 1860s. Yoshitoshi is not known for his actor prints, and this series, dating from the middle of his career, ranks among the best kabuki prints that he produced. For other examples of his later (and better) kabuki prints, please see the series: Snow, Moon and Flowers (1890) and Modern Actors of the West (1877).

Technical details

• Dates: 1876 - 1877 (1)
• Size: Ōban
• Signed: ōju Yoshitoshi hitsu
• Publisher: Ōkura Magobei
• Engravers: Hori Gin

Previous cataloguings

	Roger. S. Keyes, "Courage and Silence: A Study of the Life and
		Color Woodblock Prints of Tsukioka Yoshitoshi 1839-1892",
		Cinncinnati, 1982

	Eric van den Ing, Robert Schaap, "Beauty and Violence: Japanese
		Prints by Yoshitoshi 1839-1892",
		Havilland, Eindhoven, 1992

where it appears as series #28 (pg. 53, 119);

We use the Keyes numbers to order the prints below.

The Prints

Thumbnail	Number	Date	Title	Description
	#01	1876	Moon in the mountains. Bands Hikosaburo V as Sasahara Hayata
	#02	1876	Light snow. Ichikawa Sadanji as Obo Kichiza.
image needed	#03	1876	Sunrise. Ichikawa Danjuro IX as Chinzei Hachiro Tametomo.
image needed	#04	1876	Setting moon. Bands Hikosaburo as Akechi Mitsuhide.
image needed	#05	10/1876	Flood. Nakamura Shikan III as Abe Bungo no Kami.
	#06	10/1876	Mist. Ichikawa Sadanji as Hoshikage Tsuchiemon.
	#07	10/1876	Full moon. Onoe Kikugoro V as Inga Kozo Rokunosuke.
	#08	10/1876	Earthquake. Ichikawa Danjuro IX as Kato Kiyomasa.
	#09	10/1876	Evening dew. Ichikawa Danjuro IX as Saito Kuranosuke.
image needed	#10	12/1876	Storm. Nakamura Shikan III as Watanabe no Tsuna.
	#11	12/1876	Strange wind. Onoe Kikugoro V as the ghost of the cormorant fisher Kansaku.
	#12	12/1876	Clouds of cherry blossom. Sawamura Tossho II as Kobaimaru.
	#13	01/1877	Full tide. Onoe Kikugoro V as Aoyagi Harunosuke.
image needed	#14	01/1877	Heavy rain. Nakamura Nakazo III as Murai Chozo.

 

Acknowledgements