Skip to main content

Goban migi – midare-dori: P.482-1937

Object information

Current Location: In storage

Titles

Goban migi – midare-dori
Translated as: Number five, right: mixed cock-crows
Niwatori awase (A Contest of Fowls)

Maker(s)

Designer: Kunisada, Utagawa

Entities

Categories

Description

Surimono. Shikishiban. From the series of fifteen spring kyōka surimono entitled Niwatori-awase (A contest of fowls), commissioned by the Taiko poetry group for the year of the cock. The series was unusual in that it consisted of six pairs of prints (right and left) designed by Shinsai and Kunisada, and a triptych by Hokkei. The pair to this print is Aburadori (MFA Boston). ‘Mixed cock-crows’ (midare-dori) was a poetic term expressing a time late in the dawn; it is also the title on the cover of the Meriyasu keiko-bon (instruction manual for popular ballads) which the young girl is using for her shamisen lesson. 'Midare' is also suggestive of disorder, and may hint that the young learner's skills are not yet developed. She is dressed up in a new kimono and with her hair arranged for the first music lesson of the New Year. Music was often taught by female instructors, particularly popular music.

Acquisition and important dates

Method of acquisition: Given (1937) by Barron, E. Evelyn

Dating

19th Century
Production date: AD 1825

School or Style

Japanese
Ukiyo-e

Techniques used in production

Woodcut : Colour print from woodblocks, with metallic pigment and blind embossing (karazuri).
Colour printing

Related exhibitions

Identification numbers

Accession number: P.482-1937
Primary reference Number: 182361
Stable URI

Audit data

Created: Saturday 6 August 2011 Updated: Monday 6 January 2025 Last processed: Saturday 22 March 2025

Associated departments & institutions

Owner or interested party: The Fitzwilliam Museum
Associated department: Paintings, Drawings and Prints

Citation for print

This record can be cited in the Harvard Bibliographic style using the text below:

The Fitzwilliam Museum (2025) "Goban migi – midare-dori" Web page available at: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/182361 Accessed: 2025-03-27 07:14:21

Citation for Wikipedia

To cite this record on Wikipedia you can use this code snippet:

{{cite web|url=https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/object/182361 |title=Goban migi – midare-dori |author=The Fitzwilliam Museum|accessdate=2025-03-27 07:14:21|publisher=The University of Cambridge}}

API call for this record

To call these data via our API (remember this needs to be authenticated) you can use this code snippet:

https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/api/v1/objects/object-182361

Sign up for updates

Updates about future exhibitions and displays, family activities, virtual events & news. You'll be the first to know...