Eishōsai Chōki

File:Eishōsai Chōki (1790) Hatsuhinode (Adachi reprint) (compressed).jpg

New Year's Sunrise, colour woodblock print, 1790

In this Japanese name, the surname is Eishōsai.

Eishōsai Chōki (Japanese: 栄松斎 長喜), also known as Momokawa Chōki, was a designer of ukiyo-e style Japanese woodblock prints who was active from about 1786 to 1808. He, along with Utamaro, was a pupil of Toriyama Sekien (1712–1788). Chōki is best known for his pictures of beautiful slender women (bijin-ga), often with atmospheric backgrounds.

The artist signed most of his works Chōki (長喜), he also signed some work Eishōsai (栄松斎) or Shikō (子興).

Life and career

The details of Chōki's life are obscure. He was likely a student—and possibly an adopted son—of Toriyama Sekien. Chōki specialized in depicting beautiful women and had a number of art names: works signed Chōki were in the style similar to that of Kiyonaga, and those signed Shikō that of Utamaro.

Chōki lived in the home of publisher Tsutaya Jūzaburō, who published several of Chōki's print series. Amongst Chōki's more popular series were the Eight Views of Lake Ōmi (Ōmi hakkei) and the Eight Views of the Treasury of Loyal Retainers (Chūshingura hakkei). He also produced hashira-e pillar prints, kachō-e prints of birds and flowers, and book illustrations. His last known work is the illustrations for the book Nakoso Gate (Nakoso no seki) by Kanwatei Onitake in 1809.

Gallery

• Works by Eishōsai Chōki
• Most Splendid Entertainment of the Niwaka Festival in the Licensed Quarters
  Most Splendid Entertainment of the Niwaka Festival in the Licensed Quarters
• The Courtesan Tsuruno-o of the Tsuruya Brothel with her Attendants c. 1795–1801
  The Courtesan Tsuruno-o of the Tsuruya Brothel with her Attendants c. 1795–1801
• The Courtesan Hinazuru of the Chojiya Brothel with her Kamuro Tsuruji and Tsuruno and Two Unidentified Shinzo
  The Courtesan Hinazuru of the Chojiya Brothel with her Kamuro Tsuruji and Tsuruno and Two Unidentified Shinzo
• Cat's Cradle
  Cat's Cradle
• New Years Parade of the Beauties of the Green Houses
  New Years Parade of the Beauties of the Green Houses
• The artist's signature: "Chōki ga" (left) and "Shikō hitsu" (right)
  The artist's signature: "Chōki ga" (left) and "Shikō hitsu" (right)

Further reading

• Hiller, Jack (1960) "Choki: What is a Minor Artist?". In: The Japanese Print: A New Approach, Rutland, Tuttle. 94–101.
• Lane, Richard. (1978). Images from the Floating World, The Japanese Print. Oxford: Oxford University Press. ; OCLC 5246796
• Newland, Amy Reigle. (2005). Hotei Encyclopedia of Japanese Woodblock Prints. Amsterdam: Hotei. ; OCLC 61666175
• Roberts, Laurance P. (1976). A Dictionary of Japanese Artists. New York: Weatherhill. ; OCLC 2005932

External links

• Error creating thumbnail: File missing Media related to at Wikimedia Commons