Flavonoids: Ukiyo-e colorant
Flavonoids フラボノイド: A group of organic colorant composed of heterocyclic aromatic compounds. For this database, a group of organic yellow colorants have been grouped under flavonoids due to this common chemical composition and difficulty in identifying them individually. Organic yellow colorants that have thought to have been traditionally used in ukiyo-e prints and fall into this category are: Gardenia (Gardenia jasminoides) or kuchinashi (梔子), Miscanthus tinctorius or kariyasu (苅安), Chinese bayberry (Myrica rubra) or yamamomo (山桃), Japanese pagoda tree (Styphnolobium japonicum) or enju (槐), and Toringo crabapple (Malus toringo) or zumi (棠梨).
Flavonoids have been detected throughout the production of prints from 1690s through the 1860s. With current non-destructive analytical techniques, it is difficult to identify the exact source of each flavonoid. Flavonoids are duller and more beige when compared to the vibrant yellows produced by turmeric and orpiment. On prints, the dull appearance of flavonoids is little known since it can be their natural state or due to age and/or fading.
For additional information see: Flavonoid, Gardenia, Gardenia LC, Kariyasu, Chinese grass (Miscanthus tinctorius) LC, Pagoda tree, Pagoda tree (Styphnolobium japonicum) LC, Zumi
Examples of Flavonoids in Ukiyo-e Prints
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Analysis
Flavonoids, such as the Japanese pagoda tree (enju) and Miscanthus tinctorius (kariyasu) fluoresce weakly under ultraviolet radiation and have some differences in their EEM patterns. At this point, however, due to the difficulty in distinguishing these organic yellows, the decision was made to group them as flavonoids to minimize mistakes in identification.
3D EEM plot for Gardenia (kuchinashi) 
3D EEM plot for Miscanthus tinctorius (kariyasu) 
3D EEM plot for Chinese bayberry (yamamomo) 
3D EEM plot for Japanese pagoda tree (enju) 
3D EEM plot for Toringo crabapple (zumi)
Images of Flavonoids
Gardenia fruit (kuchinashi)
Printed gardenia
Miscanthus tinctorius (kariyasu)
Printed Miscanthus tinctorius
Chinese bayberry bark powder (yamamomo)
Printed Chinese bayberry
Japanese pagoda tree buds (enju)
Printed Japanese pagoda tree
Toringo crabapple (zumi)
Extract of zumi, by National Museum of American History
List of Prints
Below is a list of prints where flavonoids were detected.
Pages in category "Flavonoids: Ukiyo-e colorant"
The following 68 pages are in this category, out of 68 total.
B
E
- Eisen, Geisha at Night under Plum Blossoms, 11.26691-2
- Eisen, The Song Evening Mist at Asama Peak, on Scrap-paper Fabric with an Itchû-bushi Libretto, from the series A Modern Pine Needle Collection, 11.17878
- Eishi, Shizuka of the Shizutamaya, from the series Beauties of the Yoshiwara as Six Floral Immortals, 21.4917
- Eishi, Shizuka of the Shizutamaya, from the series Beauties of the Yoshiwara as Six Floral Immortals, 53.21
- Eishi, Utamaki of the Takeya, kamuro Futaba and Midori, from the series New Year Fashions as Fresh as Young Leaves, 21.4912
F
H
- Harunobu, A Young Woman in a Summer Shower, 11.19430
- Harunobu, Courtesan and Kamuro Looking at the Face of a Komusô Reflected in a Mirror, 45.833
- Harunobu, Courtesan Reading a Letter by Moonlight Reflected on Snow; Parody of Son Kang, 11.19438
- Harunobu, Courtesan Riding a Carp and Reading a Letter; Parody of the Immortal Qin Gao, 06.969
- Harunobu, Courtesan Watching Two Kamuro Make a Snow Dog, 21.4463
- Harunobu, Kojima Bingo no Saburô Takanori, 11.19633
- Harunobu, Parody of Saigyô Hôshi: Courtesan Looking at a Screen Painting of Mount Fuji, 11.19431
- Harunobu, Poem by Saigyô Hôshi, from an untitled series of Three Evening Poems, 34.348
- Harunobu, Young Man Playing a Shakuhachi, 21.4677
- Harunobu, Young Woman Riding a Turtle (Parody of the Story of Urashima Tarô), 21.4594
- Harunobu, Young Woman Tuning a Shamisen, 06.479
- Hiroshige I/Hiroshige II, Ueno Yamashita, from the series One Hundred Famous Views of Edo, 11.35842
- Hokusai, Act IX, from the series The Storehouse of Loyal Retainers, a Primer, 11.17643
- Hokusai, Actor Segawa Kikunojô III as Sadaka, 06.801
- Hokusai, Chiryû, from an untitled series of the Fifty-three Stations of the Tôkaidô Road, 34.303
- Hokusai, Descending Geese at Asuka, from the series Eight Views of Edo, 06.795
- Hokusai, Exhibition of Flower Arrangements in a Room Overlooking the Sumida River, 11.19658
- Hokusai, Female Poet, from the series Five Poetic Immortals, 11.20419
- Hokusai, Hair Ornaments, 11.20418
- Hokusai, Kanaya, from an untitled series of the Fifty-three Stations of the Tôkaidô Road, 11.16890
- Hokusai, Ki no Natora and Ôtomo no Yoshio Wrestling, 00.1949
- Hokusai, Kisen Hôshi, from an untitled series of Six Poetic Immortals formed by the characters for their names, 11.17543
- Hokusai, Lion Dance, from an untitled series of Niwaka festival dances representing the Twelve Months, 11.19934
- Hokusai, New Year in the Yoshiwara, 21.9223
- Hokusai, The Fifth Month: The Sparrow Dance, from an untitled series of Niwaka festival dances representing the Twelve Months, 11.20767
- Hokusai, The Kaminarimon Gate at Sensô-ji Temple in Asakusa, 11.19640
- Hokusai, The Ninth Month: The Dance of the Chrysanthemum Boy, Performed on a Stage, from an untitled series of Niwaka festival dances representing the Twelve Months, 21.10197
- Hokusai, Ushibori in Hitachi Province, from the series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji, 21.5386
- Hokusai, View of Koshigoe from Shichiri-ga-hama, 21.9224
- Hokusai, View of Noboto Beach at Low Tide from the Salt Beds at Gyôtoku, from an untitled series of landscapes in Western style, 21.6676
- Hokusai, View of the Inari Shrine at Ôji and Asuka Hill, from the series Newly published Perspective Pictures, 21.10204
- Hokusai, Woman Buying Songbirds, from the series A Collection of Dances, 11.16773
- Hokusai, Ôkuninushi no Mikoto, the White Hare of Inaba, and the Crocodiles, 21.9245
K
- Kiyomasu I, Courtesan Reading a Poem, 28.198
- Kiyomasu II, Actor Ogino Izaburô I as Yamagami Gennai, Acting in the Aragoto Style with the Sumikazura Wig, 11.13297
- Kiyomasu II, Actor Segawa Kikunojô I in Momo Chidori Musume Dôjô-ji, 06.423
- Kiyomasu II, Actors Segawa Kikunojô I as Yomogiu, Ichikawa Ebizô II as Tono no Hyôe, and Yamamoto Kyôzô as Kureha, 21.5459
- Kiyomasu II, Actors Tamazawa Saijirô as the Courtesan Chidori and Ichimura Manzô as Takigô Tôshichi; Calendar for 1744, 21.5455
- Kiyomasu II, Actors Ôtani Hiroji II as Washi no Chôkichi and Arashi Tominosuke as Tarui Osen, 21.5458
- Kiyomasu II, The Arrival of the Elephant, 58.343
- Kiyomitsu I, Actor Segawa Kikunojô II as Seryômura Okiku, 11.18992
- Kiyomitsu I, Actors Segawa Kikunojô II as the Courtesan Katsuragi and Ichimura Uzaemon IX as Nagoya Sanza, 45.832
- Kiyomitsu I, Yoritomo's Hunt at the Foot of Mount Fuji, 11.19694
- Kiyonaga, The Brine Maidens, from the series Current Manners in Eastern Brocade, 11.13880
- Kiyonaga, Women Visiting Enoshima, 11.21277
- Kokan, Couple Cooling Off on a Garden Bench, 11.19524
- Koryusai, Descending Geese at Mimeguri, from the series Fashionable Eight Views of Edo, 11.14627
- Kunisada, Actor Sawamura Tanosuke II, from the series Actor Rebuses, 11.42324
- Kunisada, Actors Iwai Kumesaburô II as Agemaki (R), Ichikawa Danjûrô VII as Sukeroku (C), and Onoe Kikugorô III as Shinbei (L), 21.7532-4
- Kunisada, Young Woman Pointing and Giggling, from the series Types of the Floating World Seen through a Physiognomist's Glass, 34.471
M
S
T
- Toshinobu, Actors Matsushima Hyôtarô as the Courtesan Senzai and Nakamura Ujûrô and Nanboku Magotarô as Samurai, 11.13225
- Toyoharu, A Fashionable Picture of Wada's Banquet, from the series Scenes of Japan in Perspective Pictures, 54.1499
- Toyokuni, Actor Arashi Kitsusaburô I as the Monkey Trainer Yojirô, in the Horikawa Scene of the Play Oshun and Denbei, 11.30331