Semicursive, by Totoya Hokkei

An image of Semicursive. Hokkei, Totoya (Japanese, 1780-1850). Surimono. Colour print from woodblocks, with metallic pigment and blind embossing. Poetry by Fukushuntei Baishi, Fukuotei Ryofu and Fukubaitei Suishi. 19th century. Ukiyo-e. Notes: From a series of three styles. A nightingale is singing for his supper inside the wooden cage placed on a cart. The poem comments that the green leaves and the food that the lady has just ground in the mortar will soon be eaten up and gone, but the bird’s beautiful songs will linger even in her forgetful ears. The poets were all from Sendai in Northern Japan, and their symbol (top right) shows that they were a sub-group of the Gogawa poetry group in Edo (Tokyo).

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Semicursive. Hokkei, Totoya (Japanese, 1780-1850). Surimono. Colour print from woodblocks, with metallic pigment and blind embossing. Poetry by Fukushuntei Baishi, Fukuotei Ryofu and Fukubaitei Suishi. 19th century. Ukiyo-e. Notes: From a series of three styles. A nightingale is singing for his supper inside the wooden cage placed on a cart. The poem comments that the green leaves and the food that the lady has just ground in the mortar will soon be eaten up and gone, but the bird’s beautiful songs will linger even in her forgetful ears. The poets were all from Sendai in Northern Japan, and their symbol (top right) shows that they were a sub-group of the Gogawa poetry group in Edo (Tokyo).

Image data

Accession Number: P.349-1937
Photograph copyright © The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge.
Aperture: f/19.0
Focal length: 120
Camera: Hasselblad H3DII-31
Photographer name: Michael Jones
Image height: 1025 pixels
Image width: 904 pixels
Processed with: Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 5.0 (Windows)
Filesize: 0.97MB
Exposure time: 1/125
ISO Speed: 100
Fnumber: 19/1
Captured: 2018:10:24 15:22:50

Key words

19th Century birds blind embossing colour printing Edo Period embossed embossing female Fitz_PDP gofun hair hairstyle Japanese karazuri kimono lady metallic pigment mortar nightingale pigment poetry poets print seated sitting surimono Totoya Hokkei ukiyo-e verses woman woodblock woodcut

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            The Fitzwilliam Museum (2026)
            "Semicursive, by Totoya Hokkei"
            Web page available at: https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/image/media-218454 Accessed: 2026-01-09 01:59:13

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            {{cite web|url=https://collection.beta.fitz.ms/id/image/media-218454
            |title=Semicursive, by Totoya Hokkei
            |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2026-01-09 01:59:13|publisher=The
            University of Cambridge}}

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<div class="text-center">
    <figure class="figure">
        <img src="https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/imagestore/pdp/pdp82/p_349_1937_201810_mfj22_dc2.jpg"
        alt="Semicursive"
        class="img-fluid" />
        <figcaption class="figure-caption text-info">Semicursive, by Totoya Hokkei</figcaption>
    </figure>
</div>