Tsuneshige

Tsuneshige 経茂 or 經茂 (active 1894-1904?)

BIOGRAPHY

No information is available on this artist who created senso-e (war prints) of the Sino-Japanese War (1894-1895) and, possibly, at least one chromo lithograph of the Russo-Japanese War (1904-1905). There is also disagreement about how to transcribe and romanize the kanji in the artist's signature. Chaikin states that the name 経茂 can be read both as Tsuneshige and as Tsunekana.1 The National Diet Library records an artist with the name 不厭倦経茂, but does not provide a transliteration. Nathan Chaikin records the transliteration of the artist's signature, as shown on 2-5 below, as Fushūken Tsuneshige2 and the British Library records its transliteration as Fuen'an Tsunechika, but followed with a "?".3 The signature of the artist is sometimes incorrectly, I believe, transcribed as 不厭庵経哉. The last two characters 経哉 of this incorrect transcription can be read as Tsunichika. Andreas Marks identifies an artist 経哉 (Tsunichika) who was active c. 1894.4 The collection of the Library of Congress contains a 1904 chromo lithograph bearing the printed signature shown in signature 7 below, reading Miyano Tsuneshige, although this artist might well be a different person.5 The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston transliterates the signature in signature 3 below simply as Tsuneshige ga.6

1 [The] Sino-Japanese War, Nathan Chaikin, self-published, 1983, p. 53. Chaikin also notes "or Keisai" next to the name Tsuneshige, which muddles things even more.2 Ibid.3 web exhibition co-produced by the Japan Center for Asian Historical Recrods and the British Library https://www.jacar.go.jp/english/jacarbl-fsjwar-e/gallery/gallery001.html [accessed 12-23-23]4 Publishers of Japanese Woodblock Prints: A Compendium, Andreas Marks, Hotei Publishing, 2011, p. 574.5 Library of Congress https://www.loc.gov/pictures/collection/jpd/item/2009631612/ [accessed 12-23-23]6 Museum of Fine Arts, Boston https://collections.mfa.org/objects/129994 [accessed 12-23-23]