|
Kyōka or "mad verse" is a comic variant of waka, a 31-syllable
Japanese poetry form heavily dependent on pivot words (kakekotoba) and
related words (engo). Kyōka were written mainly during the
Tokugawa period (1600-1868), and were popular among all classes. Many woodblock
print artists illustrated kyōka, either individual verse as surimono
(small edition or special occasion prints), or collections of verse in book
format; an example of the latter is displayed here. Kyōka chakizai
gazōshō (Collection of comic verse on tea utensils) is divided into two
parts, the second of which contains verse by a number of poets. The first half
of the book contains illustrations by two different artists, figures by Utagawa
Yoshitora (a pupil of Kuniyoshi) and landscapes, such as the one here displayed,
by Hiroshige (1797-1858).
|