Lot 1134
An Interesting Collection of Japanese Woodblock Prints Relating to the Medical Field, 19th c., comprising Utagawa Kunitoshi (Japanese, fl. 1847-1899), ³Mimochi on¹na natsu no tawamure - Got juttai no zu (Pregnant Women Playing in Summer Heat - 5 Heads with 10 Bodies)², color woodblock diptych, joined, overall 13 3/4 in. x 18 1/2 in., and Yoshiki (Japanese, probably 19th c.), color woodblock hashika-e (measles print) depicting the treatment of measles, 14 in. x 9 3/4 in. Note: Condition. Note: With the introduction of the bunmei kaika or ³civilization and enlightenment² movement of the early Meiji era, came Western influence, including a more scientific position regarding pregnancy and childbirth. Anatomical drawings from the West provided models for the representation of such themes as the stages of fetal gestation. The Kunitoshi diptych offered here demonstrates how those western models were cleverly adapted for the Japanese audience. Though medical vaccinations were also available in Japan du ing the Meiji period, many chose to employ traditional methods of allaying diseases as well. Measles prints, like the example here, acted less as talismans than pictorial guides to the magical folk practices once employed and were most likely used to help lessen the symptoms of the disease. It is said that once a patient had fully recovered, the hashika-e was destroyed. Reference: Available online: http://asian.library.ucsf.edu/intro1.html, Allen, Laura W. ³Women¹s Health,² UCSF Japanese Woodblock Print Collection.
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