Moriya Jihei (森屋治兵衛) (publisher ca 1797 – 1886)

Alternate names: Kinshindō (firm name - 錦森堂)
Moriji (seal name - 森治)
Ishikawa Jihei (family name - 石川治兵衛)

Links

Biography:

Edo/Tokyo print publisher (Marks 353) seal name Moriji, firm name Kinshindō. Artists published by this house include Chōki, Eisen, Eisho, Eizan, Fusatane, Gengyo, Hiroshige, Hiroshige II, Hokuju, Hokusai, Kiyohiro, Kiyomitsu, Kunichika, Kinihisa, Kunimaru, Kunimitsu, Kuninao, Kuninobu, as Kunisada & Toyokuni III, Kunisada II, Kuniteru, Kunitsuru, Kuniyasu, Kuniyoshi, Nanrei, Sadafusa, Sadahide, Sadatora, Shigemasa, Shigemasa II, Shun'ei, Shuntei, Toyokuni I, Toyokuni II, Utamaro, Utamaro II, Yoshikazu ,Yoshitora and Yoshitoshi.

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

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"The earliest dated prints by Moriya Jihei date from the year 1797. Moriya started with publishing beauties by Utamaro and actors by Toyokuni. Amongst this early work is an untitled series showing a pair of actors in half-length from the play "Tsuki wa Musashi no aki no sewagoto." Moriya's business went well and by 1807 he was one of the few members of the newly founded Guild of Picture Books and Prints Publishers (Jihon toiya). From 1811 to 1813 he sometimes acted as a censor of prints. He also started to produce illustrated books, initially with Shuntei, then with Kunisada and other artists."

This is from Japanese Woodblock Prints: Artists, Publishers and Masterworks 1680-1900 (p. 226) by Andreas Marks.