Reading about“The Benibana Picturescroll”
Kazuhiro Kikuchi

YAMAGATA UNIVERSITY LIBRARYCONTENTS

Introduction
1

What is “The Benibana Picturescroll”?

2

Manufacturing Process to Current Goods

3.

Some Remarkable Scenes

4.

Depicted Figures

5.

Conclusion – What the Painter Intends
Acknowledgment※

This English version is prepared by Masanobu Hayakawa(Emerius Professor, Yamagata University)

Introduction‘Aoso’(青苧) and ‘Benibana’ (紅花) was two main special products which werecounted as current goods of the cargo transportation age in the Mogami River.
And they were also famous for special products in Dewa ( 出 羽 ) area in
Yamagata in the Edo period. Last year the author published the report about‘Aoso’transportation in this bulletin and this year ‘Benibana’ is focused as atheme to be pursued.
Here, as the historical materials of the pictures that show the manufacturing
process of benibana, three pictures are found in this prefecture. One of themis ‘The Benibana Folding Screen’ (六曲一双) painted by Eiko Aoyama (青山永耕)
who belonged to Kano School ( 狩 野 派 ). Aoyama was from Rokuta ( 六 田 ),Higashine (東根) in Yamagata. He was actively painting between 1817 and 1877.
The screen seems to have been painted at about the end of the Edo period.
The second one was painted by Kazan Yokoyama (横山崋山) who was one of thepainters of Kyoto Shijo School (京都四条派). On the half of the screen, the landof Musashi (武蔵国) was painted and on the other half, Kanagase, Okawara in
Oshu (奥州大河原金ヶ瀬) of 1828 was drawn. But the third of the same kind of thescreen exists. This was painted by the anonymous person. It may have painted
during the Edo period, but its origin is ambiguous and its painting technique is
not high level. The screen has been stocked as a personal stuff and this has
had little chance to be shown to the appreciators.
In this paper, the author chooses “The Benibana Picturescroll” as an object
for examining and reads the real meanings in the picture, comparing real livesof the people and the phases of the farmers in the villages.

1. What is “The Benibana Picturescroll”?
“The Benibana Picturescroll” mentioned above is preserved by Akira Takeda(武田 陽) who lives in Jinmachi (神町), Higashine, and the Takedas is one of old
illustrious families that succeed to a name “Hanjiro ( 半次郎 )”. The eighth“Hanjiro” who was born in 1847 was the town headman of Higashine. The
ninth was Juro (重郎) and the present head Akira (陽) is the tenth. It is not clear
why the scroll was delivered to the Takedas, but “The Agricultural Scroll of
Murayama (村山)” is also preserved by the family.

These two scrolls seem to have been painted at about the same period.
Among them, “The Benibana Picturescroll” happened to be found in 1957.
The size of the scroll is 74cm long and 35.4cm wide.
It has no stamp or signature and its painted time is uncertain. Some say that it
was Eiko Aoyama who painted “The Benibana Folding Screen”. But the touchof brushing is rough and the difference of painting manner is easy to berecognized.
It might be a draft of “The Benibana Folding Screen” but the design isdecisively different.
True or not, this picture scroll shows the processing scenes of benibana
manufacturing around Murayama of Dewa about the latter of the Edo period
or at the end of that age. Anyhow, the scroll is valuable to show us how
benibana was processed and manufactured as current goods.

2.

Manufacturing Process to Current Goods“The Benibana Picturescroll”shows the process in the farmer’s garden fromits cultivation at Yamagata, Dewa to the consignment as products. Here, later
on, what are drawn in the pictures and the process of its manufacturing areminutely examined.
① Cultivating of Land
The picture shows the scenes of cultivating the land for sowing seeds ofbenibana. Six farmers are engaging in the work. Among them, some farmers
are taking a rest with smoking on the field lane. A woman who is giving milk
to her baby is pleasantly drawn. Two children are enjoying climbing up trees.
This may be a daily landscape of villages, playing children, a smiling motherand working farmers, all of them are a usual and peaceful village life. The
hoes being used here are made of wood with an iron blade at the U shaped
tip. This style of hoe was not used until the Meiji era came.

Cultivating of Land

② Sowing Seeds
A husband and a wife are drawn. The wife is holding a basket in arms andsowing seeds. The husband is covering the soil over the seeds, following herwork. Maybe, the work is to make ridges of soil for sowing. Sowing work isdone by farmers with their body bending and with picking some pieces ofseeds at the tip of fingers. But in this picture, standing postures of the
farmers are shown in sowing seeds. Was this posture usual in those days ?
If so, the seeds are scattered so that they needs to be eliminated in earlytime. At present time, sowing is done at the end of April.

Sowing Seeds③ Weeding and Eliminating
Farmers are working to weed and eliminate for the help of bringing up
young benibana. Three men are hand-working in benibana fields with theirbody stooping. An old woman is shouting on the field lane and one of the
farmers seems to answer her with his face up. Such a minute drawing is
also shown to draw other three men in the upward part.

Weeding and Eliminating④ Plucking Flowers
The plucking scene is drawn with plucking each petal with hands. In thescroll, ten of men and women are engaging in the works. A man with a pipe
needs to be mentioned later. In the distance farmers are busy in plucking
petals. This scene tells us vividly the satisfactory atmosphere in the harvest
season. The plucking work must be finished early in the morning when dew
protects fingers from thistle of the flowers. All of the people in the fields puton the protecting cloth on their backs of hands.
Benibana is well grown in the dewy area in the morning along the Mogami
River in Murayama. But, actually, at the harvest time the weather is apt tobe free from fog along the Mogami River. Therefore, the morning dew isimportant for benibana harvesting. At the present time, plucking season isat its peak in the middle of July.

Plucking Flowers⑤ Rinse of Petals
This process is to rinse the picked petals in a basket in water to clear away
dusts. Two farmers are in water with their dress rolled up, and wash thepetals eagerly. One of them rolls up his wear hem to his belly. At that time,such a working posture seems to have been queer. Beside them, an old man
with a pipe in his mouth is watching these working men with his dress
tucked up in the stream. But he may have nothing to do with the work. He
may be a guard or a foreman. To look more minutely at the picture, a lanternis found hanging on the tree. This may mean the work is continued evenafter dark. Because the plucked petals must be rinsed just within the day of
harvest. The report says, in the highest time, the work is done all throughthe night. The red-tinted side of the lantern tells that the work was alreadydone in the dusk. It is a bit exaggerated that the plucked petals are piled uphigh like a mountain along the river bank, but large scale working site
looked like that.
⑥ Crumpling of Petals
This process is to crumple petals with naked feet in the half-sized pail,pouring a little water. Petals here become more orange tint. In the scroll,
men are rumpling them with their body naked and some are pouring water
into the pail. Others are crumpling the petals with hands.

Rinse of Petals / Crumpling of Petals⑦ Rinsing of Petals
Here, thecrumpled petals are removed to a basket to get rid of a yellow

pigment called Kikejiru ( 黄気汁 ). Generally speaking, as the Kikejiru is
rinsing off, the quality of beni (紅) becomes refined. The better quality ofbeni is made by rain or dew in the night and if not, more transaction isneeded to rinse the petals longer. In the scroll, a man is bringing a basket
nakedly with a loincloth. It is not certain that the work finished or not.
Beside him, a woman is working in a river with an apron and a sash forholding up tucked sleeves. But she failed to rinse petals in a basket fromwhich the petals were dispersed in the river. Her face and a gesture with adisappointed expression look funny. The painter never fails to catch aminute gesture which happens in daily lives.

Rinsing of Petals

⑧ Fermentation of Petals
At the next stage, petals are laid slightly on a straw mats. This scene isdrawn at the upper part of the scroll. And the work is done at theforeground in a row of the three cottages. The petals in a row are evenly
showered by water, and they are remained as they are for a day or two. For
this process, a good ventilation is needed and the petals must be turned out
several times after careful observation. So, the petals gradually ferment
and have tinted to red. Too much fermentation gives a failure called“Flowers abortive” ( 花流れ ). This technique needs a long and natured
experience. In the scroll, watering to the petals is left out. And more, threefarmers are talking cheerfully, touching cakes of petals in the second
cottage of three ridges of houses. Maybe, this scene is drawn to show theturning out the cakes. If so, this scene should have drawn nearer to thefermentation scene for easy recognition.
Anyhow, the tool is called ‘a petal steamer’ for fermentation. This is about
1 meter square made of wood and about ten centimetres wood frames
stand at each side. This is also drawn in the “Benibana Folding Screen”by
Eiko Aoyama. But in this case, some simplified streamer is drawn without
any wood frame. Without the frame, petals can’t be arranged in somethickness,. On the other hand, turning of cakes becomes easier so that thecheck of petals is done easily.
⑨ Kneading of Petals
The process is done by pounding the fermented petals in a mortar with apestle or rumpling with hands or treading them with feet. In this process,
Kikejiru is oozed out that can be used for dyeing. The report said womengathered to be shared it. In the scroll, a man is rumpling petals in the pailwith hands at the corner of the front cottage and the center of the room,
the other man works for fermenting. Soon round shaped benimochi (紅餅) is
coming out after its stickiness. But in the scroll , the last stage of making
benimochi is not drawn, The painter seemed to omit this scene. If thisprocess of kneading is done at the second cottage, this scene can be understood easily. And in the third cottage, nobody is drawn without a pail. Only aslight – colored pink cloth is hanging up. Perhaps, this scene seems a self –made cotton cloth dyed with benibana color is drying up. If a woman who isdyeing cloth with benibana color is drawn, the situation is easily
understood. In “The Benibana Folding Screen” this is easily understood.
In “The Benibana Folding Screen” such a scene as this is just painted up.

Fermentation of Petals / Kneading of Petals⑩ Arranging of Flowers
This process is to arrange the round benimochi in order on straw mats.
Usually they are put 13 cakes horizontally and 26 cakes vertically. At the
space in front of the cottages five of men and women were sitting to work.
A mother looks busy, laying her baby backside. Maybe this scene tries todraw farmers being fully occupied the work.

Arranging of Flowers⑪ Treading of Petals
After arrangement of ‘benimochi’, another straw mat is put on them andthe farmers tread them with naked feet to make a fat ‘benimochi’ flat. This

process is called ‘treading of Petals’. A man is found, treading ‘benimochi’in a slow motion, though he is easily ignored.
⑫ Drying Petals
After treading petals, the sandwiched straw mats are turned upside down
and the upper mat is taken off. Then the fat benimochi are carefully ripped
off using a thin stick for benimochi not to lie flat on the mat. The sticks
which three men have are such a tool to hit. One of them is just working forit. In the screen, women are using this stick and dry the petals.
While the petals arranged flat under the sun shine, they repeat this work
several times a day. This work seams simple, but it has some difficult points.
The importance is to dry them in average and too much dry up occurs thesome dark color on them.
The process of ⑩⑪⑫ above is rather simple work. So old men andchildren can help the works they can earn some money, the report said.
Especially ‘drying petals’ was often the work for them and they got 5 mon(文) per and piece of mat and turning petals was also the same amount ofmoney. This also means that this work is good for helping and the work
should be done swiftly.
In the scroll, a sunny space is kept in front of the cottage, and a series of
the work is done on the straw mats. And the work needed a wide space of a
big farmers’ yard.

Treading Petals / Drying Petals

⑬ Packaging Petal Cakes
This scene is to package the dried petal cakes as goods and to crate them.
Perhaps the grand mansion is a wholesaler’s. At the open veranda, thewholesaler and the merchant in informal dress with abacus in his left handare negotiating. At the last stage of processing, the merchant comes from
Kyoto. Scrutinizing the goods, they are trading for shipment. At the rightside eaves, a big scale is hanging. The mansion seems a big merchant’s. At
the bottom of the left room, a man is working of packing benimochi with ascale.
As a standard of packing, during the Kyoho (享保) period, 120kg packageof 500 monme (匁) made 1 da (駄), which is a suitable weight for horseback.
The big package of several packs of 500 monme was conveyed to Kyoto or
Osaka wrapped with an oiled paper. The oiled paper is drawn somewhere in
the picture. Some scenes are drawn as the funny ones that an old man
turned back because of too heavy packs on his back. A heavy package ofpetals seemed too big for old men to life up.
Anyhow, a brown oiled paper of package is seen indoors and other three
outdoors. The package has too triangular tips at the both side. Some doubt
is occurred what they are. And more at the next scene it suddenly changes
to round-shaped. It seems that the package is covered with straw mats.

Packaging Petal Cakes

⑭ Convey by Land and Shipment“Benibana” and “Aoso”, the special products, were usually conveyed onhorseback by land to the bank of Oishida, where the shipping officials
stayed, but in the scroll, such a scene is not drawn. The scroll shows us
only that the packages were loaded off from horseback. The packages
wrapped with an oiled papers are drawn as round-shaped ones. The
process of packaging is omitted and some interruption is occurred.
Talking of the bank of shipment, the Mogami River and the Oishida Bank
are never drawn. Maybe, the bank is a small ford of the village near Oishida
named Shima (島), Ohori (大堀), where only the rice was shipped at thattime .
Or, there are three difficult points to sail down, but all the packaged were
not conveyed by land but by water. Conveying by water was more
economical than that by land. If the painter wanted to draw the Oishida
Bank, more vivid and prosperous scenes should have depicted more
realistically. And on “The Benibana Folding Screen” by Aoyama, the scenesof convey on horseback and shipping on the bank of Oishida are drawn
nowhere. Suddenly, the ships with trading marks are counted on the sea
and the conveying scene by wheel is drawn.
Except the screen, ‘The Benibana Picturescroll’ tells that the painter did
not make much of shipping scenes.

Convey by Land and Shipment

3.

Some Remarkable Scenes(1) Skylarks to Express Seasons
Two brown skylarks are drawn in the sky of the process ① ‘Tilling thefield’ and ② ‘Sowing seeds’. Though two creatures are easily ignored, thesky is a symbol of spring. Two birds seem to be a couple. A farmer with ahoe looking up them is clearly painted. The painter seems to tell thecultivating benibana begins in spring.

Seasonal two skylarks(2) Name of the Shop “
The shop name ‘”(ヤマジュウ)’ is drawn in the two scenes in the scroll. Between theprocess of ④ ‘Petals Picking’ and ⑤ ‘Rinse of Petal’, two baskets withthe design ofare hanging under the eaves of the cottage.

This sign can be seen in the process of ⑭ ‘Shipping’, though it is not soclear. This sign has been used successively by the Takedas, who has beena holder of the scroll. This also means that the scroll is shown the work
process of the Takeda Family. But the history tells another celebrated
family used this sign. That was the Rihei Satos (佐藤利兵衛), whose domicile
is at Tokamachi, Yamagata (山形市十日町) and who is famous for benibana
trading. So it is hard to discriminate which is which or the sign in the scroll
belonged to quite another family.

Shop’s trademark () ヤマジュウ

(3) Shape of Benimochi
Now, look at the shape of benimochi arranged on straw mats between theprocess ⑩ ‘Arrangement of Petals’ and ⑫ ‘Drying Petals’. To think about
the benimochi in Dewa, Yamagata, we have to mention the shape ofMusashi ( 武 蔵 国 ) drawn in “The Benibana Folding Screen” by Kazan
Yokoyama. The reason is because the benimochi was made into the size ofa human head of adult persons. These benimochi were arranged in five oneach line and ten of them were lined in two rows on the wooden plate. They
were just brought into the cottage with two men, lifting them with a power.
Very different size to compare with those of Yamagata !
To examine the size, the document tells as follows.
“Sansai - Ezu” 『( 三才絵図』) and “Benibana-Retsuden”(『紅花列伝』)
report the size of benimochi in Mogami (最上) is shaped in a coinsize and, in western districts, they are about 12cm or 9cm bigger.
They depend on each art. The “Honzo-Komoku-Keimo”. (『本草綱目啓蒙』) explains these sizes more minutely -(omitted)- that in thenorthern countries the size is small and thin. This size is caused
by taking off petals and pressing them and arranging under two
mats.
From these reports, the size of Yamagata benimochi was small like a coinand they are traditionally succeeded.
And in the next report, the shape is focused to discuss. In the same reportas seen above.
The report is delivered to the office by Yaemon ( 弥 右 衛門),Nagasaki village, Murayama county. (The note tells that thiswas offered in November before the Bunsei (文政) period).
- (Omitted) How to make the shape of benimochi depends on each country
and, in Mogami area, that is done as it was reported and in
Yonezawa ( 米 沢 ) it is shaped round in hand and soon it isarranged on a straw mat and , in Aizu (会津), its shape is rhombus.
In this report above, ‘in Mogami area’ means benimochi in Murayama issmall and a coin-shaped. But, here, some question occurs. Look at theshape of benimochi in the scroll. The shape there doesn’t look like acoin-round or oval. They are really triangular or rhombic. Then some doubt
occurs that the scroll was painted in Aizu. According to “Aizu Agricultural
Report,” ( 『会津農書』 ) benibana was also cultivated in Aizu area. This
problem must be pursued in the viewpoint of a comparative cultural history.
In the report this doubt is stopped only to point it out.

Shape of benimochi (triangle)(4) Cotton Dyed with Kikejiru (黄気汁)The cotton cloth dyed with Kikejiru, produced in the process of ⑦

‘Rinsing’ and ⑧ Kneading of Petals, is called “The cotton dyed withflower’s pigment” (「花染木綿」). People used the pigment skilfully and dyed
baby clothes and under clothes to wear self-made ones. The costumes
dyed with benibana merchandized in Kyoto were too expensive for them. In
the scroll, such a scene was not depicted. The cotton cloth above washang and dried under the eaves.
On the other hand, the screen shows that three women were dyeing
bending on the pail, and the dyed cloth was drawn on a wash-line pole. But
the cloth was dyed in clear red, which went well with the reality of that
period. People’s clothes dyed with benibana pigment were more simple
and slightly rouged. The painter of “The Benibana Picturescroll” seems to
depict the situation more realistic.

Dyed cotton (cloth hanging above a pail)(5) Frantic Sheltering
At the last stage of the process ⑫, people behave very frantically. The
dark cloud covers the sky suddenly and trees are turbulent, and a sudden
gust of wind comes. Farmers in a couple bring the mat of dried petals into
a cottage, getting rattled. Dried petals are very weak against rain. The
clothes of men are ripped off to their back and one of them exposes his
hip without any underpants. Here, their appearance is no problem. A very
hasty farmer drops benimochi to the ground. Benimochi are scattered
everywhere and they are screaming at the panic.
This scene is vividly depicted and the atmosphere of them is welldelivered. It is very understandable that, at that age, they are frantic tomake benimochi, fighting against the weather.

Hasty sheltering work

4.

Depicted Figures(1) Flowers Plucking Work with a Pipe
At the scene of ④ of “Flowers (Petals) Plucking”, ten of men and women
are working in the field. A man at the center is smoking a pipe in his mouth,and smiling peacefully.

A woman at the right beside of him is working as

he does. “Plucking” is the work that must be free from flowers thistles in a
dew time of early morning. Actually, farmers do not smoke during the work,so the picture shows something left. But “a woman peddler” would often
come to the field to sell some sweets and a fire for smoking. Perhaps, somemen had smoking even during the work.

Petal’s plucking with a pipe(2) Various Scenes for Trading
Many scenes for trading are shown between the process ④ ‘Petals
Plucking’ and ⑤ Rinsing. The farmers couple of benibana cultivator handthe plucked petals at the field lane. The figure who gets them looks asalesclerk with a straw hat lettered his shop mark on it. Such a man
appears in the village to get the best information of benibana harvest assoon as possible. At the harvest, villages were prosperous, because manymerchants and salesclerks visited there.

Farmer showing benibana to a merchant
At the left, a man is drawn with a scale basket on the shoulder. He iscalled ‘sanbe’ (サンベ) who collects benibana directly from the cutivators.
He looks bringing goods, but slight motion is drawn in the painting.

Sanbe (collector) with baggages
And more left side, a trader is scaling the collected benibana or abenibana manufacturer is depicted to show the trading scenes. A ‘sanbe’
is sitting down, looking rather tired.

And the bottom of left side, a merchant is caltulating something, opening
a note and pondering with an abacus in his hand. Beside him, a clerk isholding his head at a loss. On the other hand, out of the garden, a ‘sanbe’
and a good costumed trader who seems to come from other country aretalking about the price of goods.

Merchant with an abacus in his hand
The trader negotiate with the ‘sanbe’ and delivers a cash. Some ofmoney are scattered on the ground. And also at the left side, three men of anative village are standing around the trader, who can not get a suitablenegotiation. The cash note is thrown away from him. Three men aresmoking, looking with enough satisfaction. At the scene of packaging, thenegotiation done in a fine merchant yard seems the last one to send themto Kyoto.

Negotiation for price?

Merchant at a loss in negotiation
Such trading scenes as these mean, showing its prosperous dealing, that
there are various styled ways for benibana trading. Actually, they had themarket at Nanokamachi (七日町) and Tokamachi (十日町) in Yamagata and thegoods were competed for trading. Many dramas seem to be done in trading
and tried to fathom the other intention.
In the scroll, a figure is drawn holding a trading note under his arms in a
traveler’s style. At the other side of a river, a trader is smoking with a pipe,
looking a busy working beside a brown and a while horse.

Last trading for shipping(3) Quarrelling Scene
The scene, succeeding to the tradings above, is the scruffling scene offour men. Before doing such a struggle, they had a drinking party on the
straw mat. Some vase is fallen down and a liquid is run out. That may beunrefined sake. A woman calls them to stop their quarrelling. Two men are

wrestling and other two look to be a peace maker. They may fail thenegotiation of trading. But the next document gives a key to solve this.

Scuffling scene
The price of benibana easily goes up and down in a short termcomparing with other trading goods. The trading sometimes succeeds
without any clear reasons, depending on a scale. Yamagata is far off from
Kyoto, the people concerning with benibana trading are sometimes naked,
sometimes in gorgeous costumes with straw hats. Most of them lookfanatic. If a stranger sees that, they are quite disgusted with them.
Other materials are also pointed out.
Benibana Markets.
People make a market in the highest season and many buyers come down
for trading and at that time, people become amazed and they sometimes
ignore their children or parents. Nowhere can be seen as such a confusion
and they want to show its prosperity to strangers. Benibana merchants arealso prosperous.
Besides, the passage of “Yamagata-Ishihiroi” (『山形石ひろい』) describes
the markets of Nanokamachi (七日町) to tell “Benibana traders come to buy
them and they look just fanatic persons”.
These reports tell the merchants and traders to be fanatic to compete
together. Some other cases of benibana trading are seen to be same
confusion. The scenes drawn in the scroll sounds real as they are. In apeaceful village, people become very excited and small things stir up to thereason of struggling.
These scuffling scenes are drawn also in the scene of Kazan Yokoyama
just mentioned before. In the screen, the scene of Musachi (武蔵-埼玉県) of
6th of Bunsei year (文政６年) at the former half and that of Kanagase,Okawara in Oshu (奥州大河原金ヶ瀬) of 8th of Bunsei year at the latter half
are depicted. The working scenes are is minutely well drawn. This is notaccidentally agreed to the scroll, but such accidents as these happens
sometimes everywhere.
(4) People visiting villages
In the scroll, merchants and farmers working for benibana are mainly
painted, but more careful observation makes it clear that strangers visit thevillages in the high time of trading.
① Fish Mongers
A fish monger is drawn to sell fish with a pole for shouldering. An active
and a pleasant monger comes to sell fresh fish. In a basket, reddish fish
like a porgy are seen. In the “The Meibutsu-Beninosode”(『名物紅の袖』),
fish mongers come every day from Sendai to Yamagata. Murayama area
is not so far from Sendai, if they take the rote of Sasaya (笹谷), Futakuchi(二口) and Sekiyama (関山). Various peddlers and merchants visited thevillages in benibana harvest season and this means many merchants ortraders also came there. They knew much money was spent among thepeople in cash.
A man is noticed who stands at the left corner with fish on a spit in his
hand. He looks to come for with a straw hat on his back, and he wears
gaiters to walk a long way. He may be a peddler to sell fish of rivers. He
looks an amateur fish monger, but at that season even no professionalmonger could manage his own trading.
And in the busy farmer’s yard for drying work. There, children begs thefarmer to buy a candy.

Fish Monger② Woman with Water PailIn the scene of the process ⑤, at the back of the piled petals, a woman
is drawn with a pole of scale and a pail on her shoulder. Perhaps water isin those pails. Her hair style is called is “Toro-bin” (灯籠びん)and she iswell costumed. She is quite different with woman around her with anapron and their breast exposed. She looks some stranger, but she may benative. She also looks like a “shamisen” (三味線) player. Such a lady as thisworking among workers with naked on pants tucks up to the back. She
bears a pail with putting on airs.
This tells that, at this season, various people including ladies join the
farmers. They happen to help the busy working people in the villages. Or
they intend to earn money in a daily employment. “Yamagata-zakki” (『山形雑記』) reports that there were so many daily employed women at thatseason. Anyhow, we confirm the working scenes in every village.

Woman with pails③ Blind Itinerant Men

In the process of ⑫ “Drying Petals”, a man is standing by with astick,being held by a woman and he is cherishing a shamisen in his
breast. But they may be a blind couple-blind itinerant people. Then a man
is approaching and calling. The blind man stands his fingers to show afare. The man approaching was told the fare for playing the instrument. It
may be free time in busy working. This scene is one of the village scenesof busy benibana season.

Blind strolling players④ Begging Person
In the process of ⑫, a woman is sitting on the ground among busy
workers to dry petals on straw mat.
She puts on a towel on the head and bears a mat, tools and small stuffs
on her back. A back sheet for working also is seen. The costume doesn’tlook poor but she stretches out her hands holding a bit large bowel. She
must be a beggar. She comes here to expect to earn money from theother village.
Most of the men ignore her but children look her from a distance,
pointing a finger to her. Their mother also stares her with them. The
painter must have shown the people’s sympathy to the beggar.

Beggar? (a sitting man on the ground at the right)(5) Various Figures
The other various figures are painted singularly as follows.
① A man walking to the village with a stick and many of fish on his backon the lane of rice paddy.

② An old woman and children to dry their washed stuffs on a pole.

③ A man walking on the lane, holding fish container and hook.

④ A short old woman talking about something with men.

These above don’t tell what they mean. They may have nothing to dowith benibana to show only a daily life.
5.

Conclusion-What the Painter Intends“The Benibana Picturescroll”is a series of pictures from the cultivation to theshipment as current goods. What did the painter intend to show?
Maybe he intended to show the processes to the later generation. Or he
painted the scroll as a work of artificial painting.
The problem doesn’t settle here. In the scroll, the figures of working men are
vividly painted. On the other hand, curious people come together to get highprofit from benibana and many active trading are minutely draw out. The
painter wanted to draw human dramas and the farmers’ villages as they are.
“The Benibana Picturescroll” depicts that dramas putting its focus on reports
and on its own processes, so the painter has only to pursue its artistic aspects,
not to paint its dark sides. No signature on the scroll may come from such anintention. What he painted on the scroll is another substantial aspect in thevillages where farmers lead their peaceful life. That also means the historicalreality of Yamagata Dewa. In the result, we can appreciate the modern cultureof this area. This viewpoint makes us to look back the real aspects of thevillages again from various points.
Acknowledgement
The moment to start to write this report comes from the lecture of March 11,2006 held by Geikyo (芸協) of Yamagata Prefecture. The given title was“On the
Benibana Picturescroll” but at that chance, some study on the picturescroll
was beyond my scope. Only the study of folk life was reported. So the report
this time is focused by what I left behind then. Again, the study from life andcultural standpoint are considered. The author wishes the fundamental study
will be pursued by the chance of comprehensive study including history, folk
study and art together. Then, this report is only the clue to the deeper
examination of the Takada’s Scroll.
Lastly, the author should like to give deep appreciation to Mr. Akira Takeda
who is generous to take the picture of “The Benibana Picturescroll” and its
examination.
And the Yamagata Museum is also generous to give the chance to takepicture of “The Benibana Folding Screen” and the Yamagata Basho Memorial
Hall gave the good will to take “The Benibana Folding Scroll” by Eiko Aoyama.
The author would heartily give them gratitude for those kind regards.

Note : (Concerning the detail below, see Japanese originals at the end of
this paper.).
1. Shinichi Konta ; Some topics of Benibana(Koyodo, 1980)
2. Koheiji Goto ; Meibutsu Beninosode(Agriculture and Fishery Culture Corp., 1730)
3. Kanrakuan antaibo ; Benibana – seiri – gushinsho

(Yamagata City History Materials, 1904)
4. See 3. above
5. See 2. above
6. Shigeru Tamanoi ; Yamagata-meisho-annai, Matsuno-Kimakura(Published by Matsuno Kimakura, 1984)
7. Shinichi Konta ; Ten Topics of Bambina History(Published by Kahoku Town, 1956)
8. See 1. above
9. Yojiemon Saze ; Aizu Agricultural Works(Agricultural and Fishery Culture Corp, 1684)
10. Kanraku-Antaibo ; Benibana Plucking as Folk Event(Yamagata City Historical Meterial, vol.13, 1908)
11. See 2. above
12. See 6. above
13. Masataka Ichimusai ; Yamagata Ishihiroi(Yamagata City Historical Material, 1767)
14. See 2. above
15. Yuho Yamase ; Yamagata Miscellaneous, 1767 – 1845
(See 13 above)

Scene of violence and confusion painted by Kazan Yokoyama in “TheBenibana Folding Screen”