Terms that may be useful for understanding the works found in the Morris County
Historical Society's Japanese print collection.
aratame - "examined"; government-sanctioned
censorship seal appearing on prints from 1811 until 1875
bijin-ga - "picture of a beautiful
person;" most often used to describe pictures of beautiful women
-e - "picture"
emen no mie - a kabuki acting technique in which
actors freeze their poses and facial expressions during a climactic moment in the play
ezoshiya - publisher's
shop (like modern bookstores)
ga - "picture" or "picture by";
often used as a suffix in artists' signatures
geisha - an accomplished person
of the arts; a skilled entertainer
hanmoto - publisher who
commissioned the print to be made
hikko - Ukiyo-e master's assistant
hanshita - tracing of a master drawing
jidaimono - historical dramas in kabuki theater
kabuki - popular theater that developed
during the Edo period (1615 - 1868)
ken no e - pictures depicting the
game of ken
kiwame - "approved" censor seal
kyogo-zuri - first test copy of
the print, which would be presented to the master artist for inspection
musha-e - warrior prints
nigao-e - "likeness pictures"; portraits
that focus on an actor's individual features
nishiki-e - "brocade pictures" (term
used to describe Ukiyo-e)
onnagata - male actors who impersonate
female roles on the kabuki stage
ukiyo-e - "pictures of the floating
world"; a term used to describe paintings and prints that represented the fleeting pleasures of urban life in Edo
yakusha-e - actor prints
Source:
By Laura J. Mueller
