Parody of Minamoto no Tametomo
Suzuki Harunobu Japanese
Not on view
In the picture-calendar the cyclical date for 1765 is hidden. Japan's system of cyclical dates for naming years combines the ten celestial stems with the twelve animals of the zodiac. Kinoto tori (the second of the ten stems and the zodiac sign of the rooster) appears on the left side of the warrior's neckband and "Meiwa 2" (1765) is seen on the right. The numerals for the dai, or long, months (2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 10) appear inside the exposed lining of his kimono, while the numerals for the shō, or short, months (1, 4, 7, 9, 11, 12) are reversed in white and disguised as bamboo leaves on the kimono of the woman nearest the screen.
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