The Ide Tama River and the Kinuta Tama River thumbnail 1
Not currently on display at the V&A

The Ide Tama River and the Kinuta Tama River

Painting
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Shunzan designed six prints in this series, each pairing one of Japan’s six Tama (literally ‘Jewel’) Rivers with a group of playing boys. This drawing is a design for two prints. On the right, three boys wade across a river; while on the left, they frolic indoors, perhaps re-enacting scenes from a Kabuki play.

Each drawing bears the circular stamp of the government censor, showing that it had been approved for publishing. However, the survival of this copyists’ drawing, normally destroyed in the production of the initial printing block, suggests that the designs were never realised as prints.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Titles
  • The Ide Tama River and the Kinuta Tama River (generic title)
  • Six Scenes of the Tamagawa River with Elegant Games (series title)
Materials and techniques
Drawing on paper
Brief description
Painting, Katsukawa Shunzan, Japan
Physical description
On the right of the drawing, three boys wade across a river; while on the left, they frolic indoors, perhaps re-enacting scenes from a Kabuki play
Styles
Object history
Purchased from Mr. Hogitaro Inada, accessioned in 1910. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Asia Department registers, as part of a 2022 provenance research project.
Subjects depicted
Summary
Shunzan designed six prints in this series, each pairing one of Japan’s six Tama (literally ‘Jewel’) Rivers with a group of playing boys. This drawing is a design for two prints. On the right, three boys wade across a river; while on the left, they frolic indoors, perhaps re-enacting scenes from a Kabuki play.

Each drawing bears the circular stamp of the government censor, showing that it had been approved for publishing. However, the survival of this copyists’ drawing, normally destroyed in the production of the initial printing block, suggests that the designs were never realised as prints.
Collection
Accession number
E.5098-1910

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Record createdNovember 10, 2006
Record URL
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