Ukiyo-e Signature Sample Database: Unsolved Mysteries

Unknown Artists, Questionable Attributions, Unread Characters, and Other Puzzles

Asaka

浅香
transcription and reading uncertain; attributed to "Asaka no Katsumi"
c. 1820s
浅香
Asaka
RISD 56.039.73

Bairin?

梅琳
1894
梅琳
Bairin(?)
JACAR/BL 16126.d.2(69)

Bairinsō?

梅林宗
1894
梅林宗筆
Bairinsō(?) hitsu
possibly same artist as Umeno (梅埜) in main catalog?
HCCL EE721.8ﾋﾖ

Bunyū?

文雄
—
possibly Taito II? c.f. this design RISD 34.127, attributed to Kitaoka Fumio (北岡 文雄) 1940s
MIA 20082

Eikyō?

栄暁
1895
應需栄暁
Ōju Eikyō(?)
Noda b41

Hankoku

繁谷
1800-1850
繁谷
Hankoku
RISD 34.627

Joshū

如集
transcription uncertain
1860
如集写
Joshū sha
PMA 1968-165-122

Kaikoku

囗谷
c. 1880s
應需囗谷
Ōju Kaikoku(?)
CAM 1992.257

Kanzansei?

関山誠
1850s-1890s
関山誠筆
Kanzansei(?) hitsu
RISD 34.104

Keisai

恵斎
1884 (or 1882?)
惠齋画
Keisai(?) ga
possibly Yoshiiku?
TML 220516

Keisensai?

景舛斎
1853
景舛齋画
Keisensai(?) (Keishunsai?) ga
TML 東C0411-C029

Kindō?

金堂
1855
金堂筆
Kindō(?) hitsu
from a namazu-e print
TML 7456

Kōen

紅園
probably 1856
丙辰春香園
Hinoe tatsu haru Kōen
attributed to Nagayama Kōin (Bokusai), 1765-1849
Brooklyn 79.190.6

Konsai

囗斎筆
c. 1840
囗齋筆
1st char looks related to 昏... 婚? 棔?
Rijksmuseum RP-P-1991-662

Kuni…

国囗囗
c. early 1840s
國囗囗画
Kuni… ga
WUL ヘ13 03878 (v.2, p.2)

Kuni…?

国囗
1887
梅囗國囗筆
AdMT 1992-01756

Kuni…

国囗
perhaps 国絵?
—
國囗画
Kuni… ga
perhaps 國繪?
Courtesy of Chris Brooks (#317)

Kuninao II

国直
1892
瓢亭國直
Hyōtei Kuninao
JAC 09057

Kuni…

国俊
1886
囗齋國俊筆
…sai Kunitoshi? hitsu
TML 51289

Kūshunsai?

空春斎
—
空春齋画
Kūshunsai(?) ga
Courtesy of Chris Brooks (#448)

Kyosetsu?

挙雪
1893
擧雪
Kyosetsu(?)
Waseda 101-5382

Masanobu

政信
春暁斎政信
Shungyōsai Masanobu
1823
春曉齊政信筆
Shungyōsai Masanobu hitsu
atributed to Hayami Shungyosai I
RISD 56.039.79

Matahei?

又平
1903
又平画
Matahei(?) ga
Hankyu 4675-01

Minehide

峰英
transcription and reading uncertain
1894
囗囗峰英画
… Minehide ga
JACAR/BL 16126.d.2(63)

Nagayoshi?

長芳
—
長芳画
Nagayoshi(?) ga
Courtesy of Chris Brooks (#364)

Nanpō

南豊
1807
南豐
Nanpō
perhaps this is Ōta Nanpo (大田南畝, 1749-1823)?
NDL 253144 (#10)

Ranko?

also known as: Sadafusa? (貞房), Shiragiku? (白菊)
蘭囗
perhaps 蘭江 ("Rankō")?
—
蘭囗筆
Ran… hitsu (?)
attributed to "Sadafusa (Ranko)"
CNL RV-1353-2532
—
CNL RV-1353-2535
—
CNL RV-1353-2534
—
CNL RV-1353-2531

Ranshū

latter half of the 18th century
蘭秀
—
蘭秀画
Ranshū ga
MET JP1836

Rōrin?

楼琳
1894
樓琳筆
Rōrin(?) hitsu
Seal: 空
HCCL EE721.8ﾛｳ

Sadafusa?

also known as: Ranko? (蘭囗), Shiragiku? (白菊)
貞房
—
貞房筆
Sadafusa hitsu (?)
attributed to "Sadafusa (Ranko)"
CNL RV-1353-2524
—
CNL RV-1353-2528

Sakurai

さくらい
1880s
さくら居
Seal: 囗山
RISD 34.630

Seikō?

清好
possibly Tani Seikō (谷清好, fl. 1822-1826)?
1833-1855
清好
Seikō (or perhaps Kiyoyoshi)
print depicts actor Nakamura Tomijūrō II
Waseda 201-5360

Settei

雪亭
possibly Kawashima Settei (川島雪亭), active c. 1800s-1830s?
1832
雪亭
Settei
seals give long and short months for 1832; attributed to Okamoto Toyohiko
FS S2004.3.195

Shinkō?

真囗
perhaps 真厚? maybe Kitagawa Masaatsu?
1807
真囗筆
Shinkō(?) hitsu
BM 1902,0212,0.224
—
真囗筆
Shinkō(?) hitsu
MFA 11.15027

Shiragiku?

also known as: Ranko? (蘭囗), Sadafusa? (貞房)
白菊
—
白菊筆
Shiragiku(?) hitsu
CNL RV-1353-2538

Shungensai

春玄斎
—
佐久良春玄齋寫
Sakura Shungensai sha
Seal: Yugen (perhaps "Yūgen" 幽玄?)
MET JP1935

Shungyōsai

暁囗囗
mid 1820s
曉囗囗
attributed to Hayami Shungyosai II; see this article by Keyes
RISD 56.039.71

Shuzan?

囗山
c. 1880s
RISD 34.631

Suien?

翠園
probably 1859
己未皐月翠園寫
Kimi(?) satsuki Suien sha
transcription uncertain
RISD 34.629

Teisai

貞斎
—
貞齋
Teisai
attributed to Teisai (蹄斎) Hokuba, who seemingly never signed 貞斎
MET JP2346

Tōga

東峩
c. 1880s
東峩
Tōga
RISD 34.632

Tōun?

東雲
1858
東雲
Tōun(?)
WUL 文庫31 A1857 (p.4)

Toyomaru

豊丸
c. 1780
豊囗画
Brooklyn 80.264.2

Unknown

和笑
1829
和笑画
Washō(?) (or Kashō?) ga
from a Kyōto kappazuri print
RUARC arcUP1606

Unknown

大星
c. 1840s
大星氏画
Daishō-shi? Ōboshi-shi? ga
NDL 2546524 (#86)

Unknown

田囗
1860s
田囗画
Ta…(?) ga
CAM 1906.220

Unknown

皆耕
transcription uncertain
1874
囗囗皆耕寫
… Kaikō? sha
Meitan 764094_4

Unknown

囗一
c. 1880s
囗一筆
…itsu(?) hitsu
Seal: 囗齋 (perhaps 欄齋 "Ransai"?)
Rijksmuseum RP-P-1961-134

Unknown

本枝
1886
NDL 772849 (#37)
c. 1900?
本枝画
Honshi(?) ga
TML 東C374-C003-001
—
本枝画
TML 東C374-C003-006

Unknown

囗囗
1890
囗囗囗齋筆
from some sort of adaptation of Hokusai's Hyaku monogatari
CAM 1906.248

Unknown

囗囗
—
囗囗画
maybe 長葉?
AdMT 1992-01125

Unknown

囗囗
—
囗囗
perhaps 蘭斎 (Ransai)?
attributed to "Hokusu Katsushika" (葛飾北嵩?)
RISD 34.318

Yoshimaro

fl. c. 1803-1840
芳麿
1820s
芳麿
attributed to Jukōdō Yoshikumi, previously attributed to Yoshimaro, fl. 1807-1846
RISD 34.375

Yoshiyuki

芳雪
1841
宇多川芳雪画
Utagawa Yoshiyuki ga
seal very similar to one used by Sadayoshi
Waseda 016-0428

Yukinobu

雪信
柳斎雪信
Ryūsai Yukinobu
—
柳齋雪信寫
Ryūsai Yukinobu sha
TML 東C3391-C018

Yushō?

雄笑
perhaps the same "Yusho" as Schätze der Kamigata #291, fl. 1824
c. 1823-1831
雄笑画
Yushō(?) ga
dates based on career of pictured actor (Arashi Yoshisaburō II)
RUARC arcUP1627