Posted by Noel Chiappa (98.166.148.243) on February 24, 2012 at 21:23:01:
In Reply to: Handwriting? posted by Chris on February 24, 2012 at 17:17:17:
"this writing I've found to the back of a Kunichika print ... forgive me if it's only trivial!"
Without trying to decipher this particular piece, before 1880-1890 or so (I don't know exactly when, but post-Meiji Restoration) all paper in Japan was handmade, so even 'scrap' paper had value. Such scrap paper (the 19th Century equivalent of office memos - accounts, etc, etc) was re-used (one can find pieces with writing in two different directions) - often, as here, as reinforcing on the back of a print.
Noel