Daikokuya Heikichi (大黒屋平吉) (publisher 1764 – 1931)

Alternate names: Daihei (seal name - 大平)
Matsuki Heikichi (family name - 松木平吉)
Shōjudō (firm name - 松寿堂)

Links

Biography:

Edo / Tokyo print publisher (Marks 029). Artists published by this house include Chikanobu, Eisen, Gekkō, Gengyo, Getsuzō, Gyokuha, Hanko, Hirose Yoshikuni, Hiroshige II, Hiroshige III, Hishikawa Harunobu, Kakō, Kiyochika, Kiyooki, Kōgyo, Kōkyo, Koson, Koūn, Kuniaki, Kuniaki II, Kunichika, Kunimasa, Kunisada II, Kunisato, Kunitarō, Kuniteru II or III, Kunitsuna, Kunitsuna II, Kuniyasu, Kuniyoshi, Kyōkatsu, Miyagawa Shuntei, Sadahide, Sadatora, Shōun, Toshikata, Toyokuni II, Toyokuni III, Toyonobu, Yasuji, Yoshikazu and Yoshitoshi.

[Artists in the Lyon Collection who were published by this house have their names highlighted in bold type.]

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Andreas Marks two sets of dates for this publisher: ca. 1820s to the 1910s and 1764 to 1931. He explains it this way: "Overlapping dates indicate that a publisher simultaneously operated at more than one location, a few even in other cities."

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"An ad from 1890 recounts the history of this publishing firm and dates it back to 1764. The earliest known book dates to 1775. In the early 1820s, Daikokuya Heikichi published prints and illustrated books. The many books that he [sic] issued until the late 1840s were mostly illustrated by Kuniyasu and Kuniyoshi. Prints from the early period are scarce and mainly show actors or sumo wrestlers. His output did not increase during the 1830s and early 1840s. From the small amount of prints and the fact that Daikokuya Heikichi I had already died in 1825, it can be assumed that prints were just a side business at the time."