Ueda KOCHO (active c1800-1830s)
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A large Shijo surimono showing a party on a boating trip. ( One of the most underrated areas of ukiyo-e.) Rare.
Fine impression. The usual fold marks, otherwise good condition. Signed Kocho.
Status: Sold
Totoya HOKKEI (1780 – 1850)
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A surimono showing a courtesan with attendant holding a kite with an image of Danjuro in a shibaraku role. Title: Haru no machi, “The Series of Spring Town”. Issued by the Fundarikaren Club. Their emblem is repeated on the cloth sack the attendant carries on his back. Rare: This is the only genuine impression I have catalogued.
Fine impression and colour with gold and silver. Slight fading, otherwise fine condition. Signed Hokkei.
Status: Sold
Katsushika HOKUSAI (1760 – 1849)
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An exceptionally rare and very unusual koban surimono showing two onnagata actors. The only other recorded impression seems to be in Hokusai, Gian Carlo Calza, Electa, 1999, plate III.57. That has the months on the title slip of book for 1803 (and a poem top left). So this is an egoyomi and my impression must be either a proof or the first issue (same as Harunobu prints issued first without date, then with).
Very fine impression and colour. Signed Gakyojin Hokusai ga.
Status: Sold
Utagawa KUNISADA (1786 – 1864)
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An extremely rare surimono showing a seated beauty.
Fine impression and colour. The background blind-printed with a textured pattern. Signed Gototei Kunisada ga.
Status: Sold
Totoya HOKKEI (1780-1850)
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A young beauty holding a fallen kite from a series: Yanagi bantsuzuki “A Series of Willows”, sub-title: Yanagi yu “The Public Bath Willow”.
Fine impression and colour. Slight signs of mounting au verso, otherwise good condition. Signed Go Hokkei.
Status: Sold
Aoigaoka HOKKEI (1780 – 1850)
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A surimono from the set: Hanazono bamtsuzuki, “A Set for the Hanazono Group”. A series of at least seventeen prints published c1820s. Each image gives a positive injunction to start something on an auspicious day; as here: Ibori yoshi “A Good Day to Dig a Well”.
Fine impression, colour and condition. Signed Hokkei.
Status: Sold
HOKKEI (1780 – 1850)
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A surimono from the set: Hanazono bamtsuzuki, “A Set for the Hanazono Group”. A series of at least seventeen prints published c1820s. Each image gives a positive injunction to start something on an auspicious day; as here: Nyugaku yoshi “A Good Day to Start Studying”.
Fine impression. Slight turning of colour on border, otherwise very good colour and condition. Signed Hokkei.
Status: Sold
Aoigaoka HOKKEI (1780 – 1850)
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A surimono from the set: Hanazono bamtsuzuki, “A Set for the Hanazono Group”. A series of at least seventeen prints published c1820s. Each image gives a positive injunction to start something on an auspicious day; as here: Yudono hajine yoshi “A Good Day to Start Having a Bath”.
Fine impression. Slight turning of colour on border, otherwise very good colour and condition. Signed Hokkei.
Status: Sold
Aoigaoka HOKKEI (1780 – 1850)
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A surimono from the set: Hanazono bamtsuzuki, “A Set for the Hanazono Group”. A series of at least seventeen prints published c1820s. Each image gives a positive injunction to start something on an auspicious day; as here: Kadoide yoshi “A Good Day to Start a Journey”.
Fine impression. Slight turning of colour on border, otherwise very good colour and condition. Signed Hokkei.
Status: Sold
Aoigaoka HOKKEI (1780 – 1850)
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A surimono from the set: Hanazono bamtsuzuki, “A Set for the Hanazono Group”. A series of at least seventeen prints published c1820s. Each image gives a positive injunction to start something on an auspicious day; as here: Sake zukuri yoshi “A Good Day to Make Sake”.
Fine impression. Slight turning of colour on border, otherwise very good colour and condition. Signed Hokkei.
Status: Sold
Totoya HOKKEI (1780-1850)
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A dragon emerging from dark clouds. An extremely rare surimono; the few other known examples being trimmed.
Fine impression, very good colour and condition. Signed Hokkei.
Status: Sold
Totoya HOKKEI (1780-1850)
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A langoustine and fish. An extremely rare surimono designed for the Gogawa Club (seal top right) and produced by Shunman sei.
Very good impression, colour and condition with blind-printing on fish. Signed Hokkei sha.
Status: Sold
Ichiyusai KUNIYOSHI (1797-1861)
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An uncut double chuban sheet with a title which appears to read: Yatsuatari doke komori, “Bats Blaming Each Other” but given the title “Bats Comic” by Japanese sources. A set of eight chuban prints published by Joshuya Kinzo, c. 1846. Excessively rare. The bottom sheet has an unidentified subject. Unrecorded ? And the top chuban seems to show a [ bat ] parody of the Chushingura. Unrecorded ?
Fine impressions and colour. Small backed binding holes and slight soil to corner. Signed Ichiyusai Kuniyoshi ga.
Status: Sold
Ichiyusai KUNIYOSHI (1797-1861)
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An uncut double chuban sheet with a title which appears to read: Yatsuatari doke komori, “Bats Blaming Each Other” but given the title “Bats Comic” by Japanese sources. A set of eight chuban prints published by Joshuya Kinzo, c. 1846. Excessively rare. The bottom design appears to show a [ bat ] Daimyo and female [ bat ] attendants. Unrecorded ? The top chuban shows Sukeroku, illustrated no. 249 in Utagawa Kuniyoshi, Exhibition to Commemorate the 200th Anniversary of Utagawa Kuniyoshi’s Birth, Japan 1996. Same impression also illustrated in Kuniyoshi, Juzo Suzuki, Tokyo 1992, pl. 435.
Fine impressions and colour. Small backed binding holes and slight soil to corner. Signed Ichiyusai Kuniyoshi ga.
Status: Sold
Ichiyusai KUNIYOSHI (1797-1861)
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An uncut double chuban sheet with a title which appears to read: Yatsuatari doke komori, “Bats Blaming Each Other” but given the title “Bats Comic” by Japanese sources. A set of eight chuban prints published by Joshuya Kinzo, c. 1846. Excessively rare. The bottom design shows the stone steps at Toba. An impression illustrated in Utagawa Kuniyoshi, Exhibition to Commemorate the 200th Anniversary of Utagawa Kuniyoshi’s Birth, Japan 1996, no. 250. The top design appears to show a [ bat ] entertainer with a [ bat ] monkey. Unrecorded ?
Fine impressions and colour. Small backed binding holes and minor corner soil, otherwise very good condition. Signed Ichiyusai Kuniyoshi ga.
Status: Sold
Katsushika HOKUSAI (1760-1849)
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Three excessively rare prints ( from a set of four; missing third panel ) showing framed pictures of zodiacal animals; working straw models; and a seiryuto ( a sort of giant halberd ) which were on view in the garden of the Kinryuzan Temple, Asakusa, Edo. The models show a Chinese woman on a white elephant with the dimensions of the figures ( eg 5 shaku 5 su’n for figure and 1 take 2 shaku for the elephant ); Emperor Komei, with measurement; the seiryuto, with measurement; and Shuso, with measurement. Published by Tsuru Kin. Of the utmost rarity: The only other impressions appear to be the three sheets ( lacking left sheet ) in the Hokusai museum in Tsuwano, Japan, illustrated in the “Human Figure” volume of a 5 volume set by Dr. Nagata and an impression of the last sheet which was in the last Christies sale, London.
Very good impression and colour. Slight edge soil and minor marks, otherwise good condition. Unsigned, but, as stated, fully catalogued by the Hokusai museum.
Status: Sold
Ichiyusai KUNIYOSHI (1797-1861)
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Figures with bizarre heads from a rare set of prints Tsukumono ken, Rock, paper, scissors by things “tsuku” ( a form of game song ). Published by Iba-ya Sensaburo, 1847/8.
Fine impression and colour. Small binding holes down edge, otherwise good condition. Signed Ichiyusai Kuniyoshi ga.
Status: Sold
Ichiyusai KUNIYOSHI (1797-1861)
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Figures with bizarre heads from a rare set of prints Tsukumono ken, Rock, paper, scissors by things “tsuku” ( a form of game song ). Published by Yebi-ya Rinnosuke, 1847/8.
Fine impression and colour. Small binding holes down edge, otherwise good condition. Signed Ichiyusai Kuniyoshi giga.
Status: Sold
Attributed to Ichiyusai KUNIYOSHI (1797-1861)
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A giga print called Ue-shita-e. These designs can be viewed upside down. Depicts various faces including a frog; tengu; the great general Zhanghi in the Three Kingdoms, and the tyrant King Zhou of the Yin Dynasty. Published by Ezakiya Tatsuzo, c 1842. Another impression ( from the Museum of Paper, and attributed to Kuniyoshi ) is illustrated in Edo no Asobi-e, no.2 and back cover. Rare.
Very good impression and colour. Slight centre fold, otherwise good condition.
Status: Sold
Utagawa KUNISADA (1786-1865)
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A print with title: Kaso-zaiku, “Bamboo Basket Work”. Shows a peacock, an oni, cat, and shishi lions built of bamboo by the craftsman Naniwa ( Osaka ) Kazuda Shohichiro. An early and possibly unrecorded Kunisada print. Published by Kawaguchiya Heikichi c 1820’s.
Good impression. Slightly trimmed, backed and some fading. Signed Oju ( “ by special request” ) Kunisada ga.
Status: Sold
Ichiyusai KUNIYOSHI (1797-1861)
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Triptych showing the opening of the new Ryokoku Bridge which took place Hare year (1855), 11th month, 23rd day. An interesting print showing leading dignitaries of the day walking across the bridge. Print published by Iba-ya Sensaburo, 1855.
Very good impression. colour and condition. Signed Ichiyusai Kuniyoshi ga.
Status: Sold
Suiken CHIKUYOU (active late 19th century)
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Presumably a pupil of Chikanobu. An interesting triptych showing silkworm culture at the Imperial Court: Kyuchuu Yousan no zu. The women elegantly attired in European-style costumes. Published 1888.
Good impression, colour and condition. Signed Suiken Chikuyou.
Status: Sold
Okumura MASANOBU (c.1686-1764)
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A major artist attributed with the invention of the hashira-e and uki-e and who may have been the first to change from hand colouring to colour printing. Tera no kashi, “Sweets From a Temple” from Masanobu’s most highly regarded shunga set: Someiro no yama neya no hinagata, “Mountains of Dyed Colours, Examples of Bedrooms.” Published c. 1735. Sub-title: Sato Kosho sai, Kichisaburo. Shows a young monk copulating with a beauty in the vicinity of a temple. Hence the punning title. Four other illustrations from this set illustrated in Shunga, Tom and Mary Evans, 1975, 5.64 – 5.67. Extremely rare.
Very good impression. Careful contemporary hand colouring ( as all prints for this series ). The red pigment with gum added. Centre fold ( as per usual ) with repair at top edge. Slight soil, otherwise very good condition for this period. Unsigned.
Status: Sold
OSAKA SCHOOL (c.1830)
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A complete set of twelve oban shunga prints. Printed with sumi outline blocks only, omitting the colour blocks and coloured by hand instead. Extensive details hand applied and with grey mica grounds and other areas with mica. This set was either a special one-off commission for a valued client or one set of a deluxe edition for clients who were willing to pay considerably more than for the printed version: It obviously took much longer to colour by hand. There are other examples of this in ukiyoe with prints and books. For an illustration of one design from the printed commercial edition see: Shunga, Marco Fagioli, Musee d’Ixelles – Museum van Elsene, 1989, cat. 84, p. 128. Probably unrecorded. Six prints ( of twelve ) illustrated.
Centre folds ( as per usual ). Some soil and edge damage on one or two designs. Unsigned.
Status: Sold
Okumura MASANOBU (1686-1764)
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A pair of lovers. Obviously one sheet from a shunga album. A sumizuri-e print with careful hand-colouring. Although possibly not contemporary the colouring certainly has considerable age. Published c 1710s.
Very good impression. Slight offsetting of sumi and other minor soil and backed wormholes. Centre fold.
Status: Sold
Unsigned Shunga (Attributed to Utagawa KUMINAO)
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Three volumes complete. Shunkei otogi bunko, “Erotic Bedrooms, A Collection of Fairy Tales”. Original covers and title slips. Published circa early 1850s.
Very fine impressions and colour, very good condition.
Status: Sold
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Unsigned Shunga (Attributed to Ichiyusai KUNIYOSHI)
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Three volumes complete. Shunshoku koi no kakehashi, “A Bridge of Love”. Original covers and title slips. Published circa late 1840s.
Very fine impressions and colour, very good condition.
Status: Sold
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Unsigned Shunga (Attributed to Keisai EISEN)
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Three volumes complete. Koi murasaki, “Purple Love”. Original covers and title slips. Published circa early 1840s.
Very fine impressions and colour, one wormhole on one volume, otherwise very good condition throughout.
Status: Sold
Isoda KORYUSAI (fl.c.1764-1788)
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Two complete koban sets of twelve prints each showing loving couples. Two double pages shown from each album.
Minor soil and one stain, but otherwise very good impression, colour and condition.
Status: Sold
Torii KOTONDO (1900-1976)
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Utatane, “A nap”. See The female image nos.177-1 and 177-2, p.132. This impression has a silver mica ground. Published by Ikeda Showa 5 (1930). Limited edition seal au verso, no.53 from 100.
Perfect impression and colour. Minor toning in margin, otherwise perfect condition. Signed Kotondo ga with seal.
Status: Sold
Yamakawa SHUHO (1898-1944)
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A girl performing the nunozarashi. See The female image, no.156, p.118. There are later printings of Shuho prints but this is from the original edition. Published 1936.
Perfect impression, colour and condition. Signed Shuho.
Status: Sold
Kawase HASUI (1883-1957)
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Mount Fuji viewed from Satta mountain pass., Satta toge no Fuji. Published by Watanabe (seal lower right margin) Showa 10 (1935). Hasui produced a number of variant (colour) impressions of this design.
Perfect impression, colour and condition. Signed Hasui with Kawase seal.
Status: Sold
Takahashi SHOTEI (1871-1945)
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A large print (13.75 x 20.5 inches; 35 x 52 cms) of a cat prowling around a staked tomato plant. A rare print by an artist who obviously had a penchant for cats as there are several other designs of them by him. Published by Fusui Gabo, Showa 6, 8th month.
Very good impression with the baren marks intentionally forming a background pattern. Very good colour and condition. Signed Hiroaki Saku with seal Hiroaki.
Status: Sold
Tobari KOGAN (1882-1927)
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Miyashita, Fifth Stage from Famous Views of Hakone, a Mountain Waterwheel. Kogan only produced around a dozen and a half prints and they are all rare. This design is no exception: I have noted no other impression for sale. Published c.1813.
Slight damage top right corner and small crack in right margin otherwise fine impression, colour and condition. Signed Kogan bottom right.
Status: Sold
School of Mori SOSEN (c. early 19th century)
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A group of seven small monkey paintings on silk, 11.75 x 11 cms. Of fine quality. Probably by a leading Sosen pupil. Mounted in a concertina album. Unsigned.
Status: Sold
Ryusai SHIGEHARU (1803-1853)
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A bust portrait of the actor Arashi Rikan in an onnagata role as Osome. Published by Honsei c1830-32. A border of game cards, balls and battledore and shuttlecock. Forms a complete diptych design with print below.
Very good impression, colour and condition. Full size. Signed Gyokuryutei Shigeharu ga.
Status: Sold
Ryusai SHIGEHARU (1803-1853)
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A bust portrait of the actor Ichikawa Danzo in the role of Hisamatsu. Published by Honsei c1830-32. A border of game cards, balls and battledore and shuttlecock.
Very good impression and colour. One very small wormhole and minor marks, otherwise very good condition. Full size. Signed Gyokuryutei Shigeharu ga.
Status: Sold
Gigado ASHIYUKI (FI. 1814-1833)
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The actor Arashi Kitsusaburo II as Minamoto Sanmi Yorimasa about to kill the composite beast, the Nue, with an arrow. Dated Bunsei 5, 9th month (1817).
Very good impression and colour. Deluxe printing on heavy hosho. Very good condition. Signed Ashiyuki.
Status: Sold
Ichiryusai HIROSHIGE (1797-1858)
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The beach of the Dancing Girl in Harima Province from Rokuju-yo shu meisho zue, “Famous Places in the Sixty-Odd Provinces”. The set published by Koshihei between 1853-1856.
Very good early impression showing strong woodgrain. Fine colour and condition. Signed Hiroshige ga.
Status: Sold
Ichiryusai HIROSHIGE (1797-1858)
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A chuban triptych showing three beauties relaxing at Takanawa from a set of Eight Views of Edo. Published by Joshuya Kinzo c.1849-50. (Tamba no.146.)
Very good impression, colour and condition. Signed Hiroshige ga.
Status: Sold