Volume IV deals with the:

• Okumura School
• Kitao School
• Utagawa School
• Katsushika School

The following schools and artists are discussed and their art reproduced: Okumura School, Masanobu Okumura, Toshinobu and Masafusa, Kitao School, Shigemasa Kitao, Masanobu Kitao, Masayoshi Kitao, Shunman Kubota, Ryuko Kitao and Yoshimaru Kitao, Utagawa School Toyoharu Utagawa, Toyohiro Utagawa. Toykuni Utagawa, Kunisada Utagawa, Kuniyoshi Utagawa, Hiroshige Utagawa, Katsushika School, Hokusa Katsushika, Hokutai Katsushika, Hokuba Arisaka, Hokke Totoya, Shigenobu Yanagawa and Shinsai Ryuryukyo.

For more information on the complete five volume set, see below.

Text Pages

List of Plates

Illustrated Limitation page
("Special Edition" No. 300)



Title Page



Example of Descriptive Tissue Guard



Text Pages - Volume IV

Pages 111-178

Part Ten - Okumura School
Chapter I.  Masanobu Okumura
Chapter II.  Toshinobu and Masafusa

Part Eleven  Kitao School
Chapter I.  Shigemasa Kitao
Chapter II.  Masanobu Kitao
Chapter III.  Masayoshi Kitao
Chapter IV.  Shunman Kubota
Chapter V.  Ryuko Kitao and Yoshimaru Kitao

Part Twelve - Utagawa School
Chapter I.  Toyoharu Utagawa
Chapter II.  Toyohiro Utagawa
Chapter III.  Toykuni Utagawa
Chapter IV.  Kunisada Utagawa
Chapter V.  Kuniyoshi Utagawa
Chapter VI.  Hiroshige Utagawa

Part Thirteen - Katsushika School
Chapter I.  Hokusa Katsushika
Chapter II.  Hokutai Katsushika
Chapter III.  Hokuba Arisaka
Chapter IV.  Hokke Totoya
Chapter V.  Shigenobu Yanagawa
Chapter VI.  Shinsai Ryuryukyo

Total Text Pages -- 68 Pages


Plates
 (Color Except for the 2 Underlined Plates)
 
Volume  IV.     (Plates 104-143)

104.    Card-Playing in the Ladies Apartments of  
          the Shogun's Palace   By Masanobu Okumura
        

105.    Lady Playing with a Cat   By Masanobu Okumura
        

106.    Ogura-Yama   By Masanobu Okumura
        

107.    Flower-Seller   By Masanobu Okumura
        

108.    Three Geisha Feeding a Nightingale   By Shigemasa Kita
        

109.    Utagawa and Nanasato   By Masanobu Kitao
        

110.    Sukeroku and Agemaki     By Masanobu Kitao
        

111.    Magai Otsuye   By Masanobu Kitao
        

112.    Magai Otsuye   By Masanobu Kitao
        

113.    Illustration of the Events of One Year   By Masanobu Kitao
        

114.    Beautiful Ladies Beating the Clothes   By Shumman Kubota
        

115.    Two Ladies in the Suburban Fields in Spring    By Shumman Kubota
        

116.    Yuranosuke in a House of Ill-Fame at Shimabara By Shumman Kubota
        

117.    Flowery Damsel   By Toyoharu Utagawa
        

118.    Two Young Beauties   By Toyoharu Utagawa
        

119.    Beauty Impersonating the Hermit Tekkai   By Toyoharu Utagawa
        

120.    Furyu Azuma Kudari   By Toyoharu Utagawa
        

121.    Beautiful Laday Hanging a Kakemono   By Toyoharu Utagawa
        

122     Courtezans   By Kunisada Utagawa
        

123     Courtezans   By Kunisada Utagawa
        

124.    The Whirling Tide at Naruto   By Hiroshige Utagawa
        

125.    A Scene at Mariko   By Hiroshige Utagawa
        

126.    Lake-Shore in the Moonlight   By Hiroshige Utagawa
        

127.    The Daimyo Train   By Hiroshige Utagawa
        

128.    The Moon in the Four Seasons: a Rainy Night at Yedomisaka   By Shunro Katsushika
        

129.    A Small Snake on Bamboos   By Sori Hishikawa
        

130.    A Beautiful Woman and a Small Monkey   By Hyakurin Sori
        

131.    A Beauty und the Full-Blossoms   By Hokusai Katsushika
        

132.    A Beauty   By Hokusai Katsushika
        

133.    A Beauty   By Hokusai Katsushika
        

134.    Gathering Shells at Ebb-Tide   By Hokusai Katsushika
        

135.    Mochitsuki   By Hokusai Katsushika
        

136.    A Beauty After Bathing   By Hokusai Katsushika
        

137.    A Beautiful Countenance Reflect in a Mirror   By Hokusai Katsushika
        

138.    Landscape   By Hokusai Katsushika
        

139.    Two Beauties   By Hokusai Katsushika
        

140.    Two Ladies in Spring Meadows   By Hokuba Arisaka
        

141.    Imitation of Otsuye   By Hokuba Arisaka
        

142.    Woman and Spider   By Hokuba Arisaka
        

143.    A Lady in an Autumn Night   By Shinsai Ryuryukyo
        


38 color, 2 black & white collotype
Black and white plate nos. are underlined above.


Listing of Plate, As Above, But Without Pictures

104.    Card-Playing in the Ladies Apartments of  
          the Shogun's Palace                          By Masanobu Okumura
105.    Lady Playing with a Cat                        By Masanobu Okumura
106.    Ogura-Yama                                     By Masanobu Okumura
107.    Flower-Seller                                  By Masanobu Okumura
108.    Three Geisha Feeding a Nightingale             By Shigemasa Kita
109.    Utagawa and Nanasato                           By Masanobu Kitao
110.    Sukeroku and Agemaki                           By Masanobu Kitao
111-2.  Magai Otsuye                                   By Masanobu Kitao
113.    Illustration of the Events of One Year         By Masanobu Kitao
114.    Beautiful Ladies Beating the Clothes           By Shumman Kubota
115.    Two Ladies in the Suburban Fields in Spring    By Shumman Kubota
116.    Yuranosuke in a House of Ill-Fame at Shimabara By Shumman Kubota
117.    Flowery Damsel                                 By Toyoharu Utagawa
118.    Two Young Beauties                             By Toyoharu Utagawa
119.    Beauty Impersonating the Hermit Tekkai         By Toyoharu Utagawa
120.    Furyu Azuma Kudari                             By Toyoharu Utagawa
121.    Beautiful Laday Hanging a Kakemono             By Toyoharu Utagawa
122-3.  Courtezans                                     By Kunisada Utagawa
124.    The Whirling Tide at Naruto                    By Hiroshige Utagawa
125.    A Scene at Mariko                              By Hiroshige Utagawa
126.    Lake-Shore in the Moonlight                    By Hiroshige Utagawa
127.    The Daimyo Train                               By Hiroshige Utagawa
128.    The Moon in the Four Seasons: a Rainy 
          Night at Yedomisaka                          By Shunro Katsushika
129.    A Small Snake on Bamboos                       By Sori Hishikawa
130.    A Beautiful Woman and a Small Monkey           By Hyakurin Sori
131.    A Beauty und the Full-Blossoms                 By Hokusai Katsushika
132.    A Beauty                                       By Hokusai Katsushika
133.    A Beauty                                       By Hokusai Katsushika
134.    Gathering Shells at Ebb-Tide                   By Hokusai Katsushika
135.    Mochitsuki                                     By Hokusai Katsushika
136.    A Beauty After Bathing                         By Hokusai Katsushika
137.    A Beautiful Countenance Reflect in a Mirror    By Hokusai Katsushika
138.    Landscape                                      By Hokusai Katsushika
139.    Two Beauties                                   By Hokusai Katsushika
140.    Two Ladies in Spring Meadows                   By Hokuba Arisaka
141.    Imitation of Otsuye                            By Hokuba Arisaka
142.    Woman and Spider                               By Hokuba Arisaka
143.    A Lady in an Autumn Night                      By Shinsai Ryuryukyo

Colophon

Printed: Meiji 40 (1907).8.21
Published: Meiji 40 (1907).8.23

Tajima Shiichi (editor)
Omura Seigai (text)
Goodrich, Joseph King (translation into English):
Masterpieces Selected from the Ukiyoye School (Eibun Ukiyoe-Ha Gashu), Shimbi Shoin, Tokyo, 1906-9 (Meiji 39-42), Volumes I-V, folio (13 1/2 x 19 1/2 in - 34.2 x 49.5 cm), silk covered boards decorated with a woodblock illustration on the front board, edges beveled, spine covered in brocade silk cloth, purple silk ties, volume number and title in English in gilt on front board, top and bottom page edges in gilt, text in English, 170 plates (158 color woodblock and 12 black and white collotype), 214 pp (210 numbered text pages and a 4 page preface). Each plate is preceded by a tissue guard with information in English regarding the plate that follows. There are numerous black and white text illustrations in the text pages. While most are woodcuts, a few are collotypes. Issued with a straw textured wrap-around case with ivory type clasps. According to Shimbi Shoin catalogues "Regular," "Special" and "De Luxe" editions were issued. Each volume in the set contains a numbered limitation statement indicating the number of the set out of total sets printed.

A Japanese language version (Eibun Ukiyoe-Ha Gashu) or (Ukiyoye-ha Gwashu) was also published. This 5 volume set is reported to contain a total of 150 plates, 20 less than in the English language set.

One of the largest plates in the English language version is number 155 in volume 5 which reproduces a triptych titled "Part of a Roll Representing Various Fashions in the Four Seasons" by Yeishi Hosoda. This plate has an image area of 30.5 x 77 cm and has three folds out. It is apparently not found in the Japanese language version of the set.

The Shimbi Shoin outlines in detail the color woodblock (chromoxylograph) process it uses in Process of Wood-Cut Printing Explained. This description can be found here.

Volumes 1- 5 of he ordinary edition are digitally archived here - the collection of the family of Henry Posner, Sr. at Carnegie Mellon University.

Wenckstern calls the book Masterpieces Selected from the Ukiyoye [popular] School and states:

...in five volumes of 30 plates each. Volume I contains an essay on the origin and development of the Ukiyoye school, biographical data sketches of the artist and some critical descriptions. 35 pp text and 39 plates. (Edition de luxe, 100 copies, 250 yen the set; ordinary edition, 600 copies, 200 yen the set.

Early Shimbi Shoin catalogues described the set with 150 pictures (plates). Later catalogues modified that to 170. Booksellers have reported the set with 175 plates but I have not been able to confirm that as accurate. It is possible that the 175 number was the number of woodblock prints. Some plates contain more than one woodblock print. Volume IV contains 5 color illustrations (probably woodblocks) incorporated as illustrations into the text section.

An early, but undated, Shimbi Shoin catalogue states that the edition was limited to 700 copies and of that total 100 were deluxe editions. This catalogue listed three editions:

Edition de luxe - 26 GB Pounds
Special Edition - 23 GB Pounds
Ordinary Edition - 21 GB Pounds

This catalogue stated:

5. The number of volumes in this edition is limited to Seven hundred copies, including 100 copies of the edition de luxe and 100 copies of the special edition (that is bound in a more attractive way that the ordinary edition and some of such pictures as were originally painted on silk will be reproduced in silk). Each volume in the entire series is numbered and registered, as a guarantee of its genuineness.

The number of this set printed is uncertain. To compound this problem, it is unclear whether the printing numbers are for the English language version, the Japanese language version, or both.

     600 sets -     Ordinary Edition
     200-300 sets - Special Edition*
     100 sets -     Edition de Luxe
     900~1000 sets total

* A "special edition" set with a limitation statement of 200 but with number "300" has been confirmed.

By 1920, Shimbi Shoin catalogues dropped reference to the "Edition de luxe." Perhaps this was because they were sold out.

The editor, Shiichi Tajima, was also the editor of Selected Relics of Japanese Art, a 20 volume set published between 1899 and 1908. These set was very similar in composition to this book. It featured prominent Japanese art reproduced in collotype and woodblock. During the period of 1902-7, the The Kwansai Photograph Company produced the collotype plates used in that set.

 
The actual dimensions of the plates range from a woodblock prints tipped to a page (page size is 12 x 19 1/4 in - 30.5 x 49 cm) and occupying 60-80% of the page to massive fold-out plates like plate 48 in Volume II. That plate has four folds out and the woodblock print that is tipped to page is almost 3 feet long by almost 1 foot high.

Plate 48 - 3 folds out
Page Size: 19 1/4 x 40 1/4 in - 49 x 101.5 cm
Woodblock Print Size: 11 x 35 1/2 in - 28 x 94 cm

 
Listing of Plates can be reviewed here:

Volume I
Volume II
Volume III
Volume IV
Volume V

 
Contents of the five volumes cover:

Volume I     1906 (Meiji 39) - [Plates 1-40]
Part One.    Genre of Before and About the Keicho and the Kwanye 
               Eras (1596-1643) - Plates 1-16.
Part Two.    Matabei Iwasa - Plates 17-27
Part Three.  The Hishikawa School - Plates 28-40
               Chapter I.    Moronobu Hishikawa
               Chapter II.   Morofusa Hishikawa
               Chapter III.  Moroshige Hishikawa
               Chapter IV.   Morohira Hishikawa
               Chapter V.    Wawo Hishikawa
               Chapter VI.   Tomofusa Hishikawa
               Chapter VII.  Morotsugi Furuyama
               Chapter VIII. Moromasa Furuyama
               
                  33 color woodblock plates
                   7 black and white collotypes 


Volume II    1907 (Meiji 40) - [Plates 41-73]
Part Four    Miyagawa School - Plates 41-54.
               Chapter I.     Choshun Miyagawa
               Chapter II.    Shunsui Katsu-Miyagawa
               Chapter III.   Choki Miyagawa; Masayuki Miyagawa;
                              Issho Miyagawa, and Shinsui Katsukawa
Part Five    Katsukawa School - Plates 55-73
               Chapter I.     Shunsho Katsukawa
               Chapter II.    Shuncho Katsukawa
               Chapter III.   Shunye Katsukawa
               Chapter IV.    Shunko Katsukawa
               Chapter V.     Shundo Katsukawa
               Chapter VI.    Shunkaku, Shunjo, Shunkyo, Shunko, Shunrin
                               Shunkyoku, Shunsen, Shungyo and Kyokko Katsukawa
               Chapter VII.   Shuntei Katsukawa
               Chapter VIII.  Shunsen Katsukawa
               Chapter IX.    Shunzan Katsukawa
               Chapter X.     Shuntoku and Shundo Katsukawa
              
                  31 color woodblock plates
                   2 black and white collotype plates


Volume III     1908 (Meiji 41) - [Plates 74 - 103]
Part Six     Kwaigetsudo School
               Chapter I.  Founder of the Kwaigetsudo School
               Chapter II.  Disciples of Kwaigetsudo
Part Seven   Torii School
               Chapter I. Kiyomoto Torii
               Chapter II.  Kiyonobe Torii
               Chapter III.  Kiyomasu Torii
               Chapter IV.  Chincho Hagawa
               Chapter V.  Kiyomitsu Torii
               Chapter VI.  Kiyotsune Torii
               Chapter VII.  Kiyonaga Torii
               Chapter VIII.  Kiyomine Torii (The Second Kiyomitsu)
               Chapter IX.  Kiyotada Torii
               Chapter X.  Kiyoyoshi Torii (The Third Kiyomitsu)
Part Eight
               Chapter I.  Shigenaga and Shigenobu Nishimura
               Chapter II.  Toyonobu and Toyomasa Ishikawa
               Chapter III.  Koryosai Isoda
               Chapter IV.  Harunobu Suzuki
               Chapter V.  Fusanobu Tomikawa
Part Nine    Toriyama School
               Chapter I.  Toriyama School
               Chapter II.  Harumachi Koikawa
               Chapter III.  Shiko Momokawa

                  30 color woodblock plates
                   0 black and white collotype plates


Volume IV      1907 (Meiji 40) - [Plates 104 - 143]
Part Ten       Okumura School - Plates 104-107
               Chapter I.     Masanobu Okumura
               Chapter II.    Toshinobu and Masafusa
Part Eleven    Kitao School - Plates 108-116
               Chapter I.     Shigemasa Kitao
               Chapter II.    Masanobu Kiato
               Chapter III.   Masayoshi Kiato
               Chapter IV.    Shunman Kubota
               Chapter V.     Ryuko Kitao and Yoshimura Kiato
Part Twelve    Utagawa School - Plates 117-127
               Chapter I.     Toyoharu Utagawa
               Chapter II.    Toyohiro Utagawa
               Chapter III.   Toyokuni Utagawa
               Chapter IV.    Kunisada Utagawa
               Chapter V.     Kuniyoshi Utagawa
               Chapter VI.    Hiroshige Utagawa
Part Thirteen  Katsushika School - Plates 128-143
               Chapter I.     Hokusai Katsushika
               Chapter II.    Hokutai Katsushika
               Chapter III.   Hokuba Arisaka
               Chapter IV.    Hokkei Totoya
               Chapter V.     Shigenobu Yanagawa
               Chapter VI.    Shinsai Ryuryukyo
               
                  38 color woodblock plates
                   2 black and white collotype plates


Volume V       1909  (Meiji 42) - [Plates 144-170]
Part Fourteen  Kitagawa School  Plates 144-150
               Chapter I.     Utamaro Kitagawa
               Chapter II.    Disciples of Utamaro
               
Part Fifteen   Hosoda School  Plates 151-158
               Chapter I.     Yeishi Hosoda
               Chapter II.    
               Chapter III.
               Chapter IV.    Disciples of Yeishi
               
Part Sixteen   Kikugawa School  Plates 159 
               Chapter I.     Yeizan Kikugawa
               Chapter II.    Keisai Yeisen
               Chapter III.   Yeisho Kikugawa
               Chapter IV.    Disciples of Yeisen
               
Part Seventeen Hanabusa School  Plates 160-164   
               Chapter I.     Itcho Hanabusa
               Chapter II.    Sushi Sawaki and Sukoku Ko
               
Part Eighteen  Miscellaneous Artists of Kyoto and Osaka  Plates  165-170
               Chapter I.     Rippo Hinaya
               Chapter II.    Sukenobu Nishikawa
               
                  26 color woodblock plates
                   1 black and white collotype 

 
Wrap-Around Case. Issued with a straw/grass textured wrap-around cases (chitsu cases) with printed silk title label and two ivory type clasps.

 
Limitation Statements. After the half title page in each volume there is an illustrated limitation statement. The illustration is different in each volume. The number is sometimes written in English and sometimes in Japanese and it is incorporated into text portion of the illustration. The limitation statements indicate the number of the set out of the total published. Some limitation statements reference "Six Hundred Copies" (ordinary or regular edition). Others reference "Two Hundred Copies" of a "Special Edition." I have not examined a limitation statement from a "Edition de luxe." Below are limitation statements for the ordinary and special editions found in Volume I.

 
Paper Types. High quality paper was used in the production of this set. The following paper types are noted.

• Medium paper stock (folded and unfolded). Front and back blank pages (unfolded), half title page (folded), limitation statement page (folded), full title page (folded).
• Thin paper stock (folded and unfolded). Text pages(folded) and descriptive tissue guards (unfolded), list of plates (folded) & colophon (folded). Fold-out collotype plates are printed on thin paper which is then tipped to the heavy card stock plate page in the book.
• Heavy card stock (always unfolded). All plates (woodblock and collotype) are mounted to thick/heavy card stock plate pages in the book. The woodblock prints are tipped to thick/heavy card stock plate pages. In the case of fold-out woodblock plates, they are tipped to heavy card stock paper that is then glued along one edge to the plate page in the book. Non-folding collotype plates are printed directly on thick/heavy card stock.

 
Descriptive Tissue Guards. The plates are preceded by descriptive tissue guards. An example of the text is here. Often, a descriptive tissue guard will apply to more than one plate. These descriptions provide:

• Title of the Art
• Artist or School
• Type of Work (ie screen, painting)
• Dimensions of the Original Work
• Owner.

 
Typical Collation. Blank page (front), half title page/limitation statement page, full title page/back blank, list of plates/back blank, text pages, plates, text pages, plates, colophon/back blank & blank page (back).