designs of facile invention, great vivacity, and excellent composition, lacking only in high seriousness and delicacy of detail. He was born in Kioto, and was known in private life as Nishikawa Ukio; his first work was done in the manner of the Kano school, from which he went over to the Tosa school. His importance for Kioto is the same as that of Masanobu for Yedo.[1] From about 1730 he seems to have settled in Osaka. The Hamburg Museum possesses a book by him called Shotoku Hinagasa, dated as early as 1713.[2] He was especially noted for his scenes from the life and occupations of women, of which a series appeared, as early as 1723, under the title Hiakunin Joro shinasadame:—
- Yehon Hanamomiji. Undated.
- Genji no yesho. 1730.
- Wakoku hiakujo, hundred Japanese women, on 27 pictures.
In 1736 followed the widely known—
- Yehon tamakadzura (Pl. no. 11 in Anderson's Japanese Wood-Engraving).
- Yehon Asakayama. 1739.
- 1740, 1741, Yehon chiyomigusa, scenes from the life of women, 3 vols.
These books are followed by the scenes from social life, the Yehon ike no kawazu, an edition of which in 1768 is cited by Anderson. Illustrations of poems:—
- 1730, Yehon Tsukubayama; 1755, Yehon himekagami; and illustrations of the book of moral precepts:
- Yehon chitoseyama. 1740.
He illustrated legends in his Yehon Yamato-hiji of 1742, and Japanese stories in his Yehon Kame no Oyama of 1747.
Besides these, the following books by him are mentioned:—
- Yehon tokiwagusa, the life of court ladies, middle-class women, and courtesans, 3 vols. 1731.
