Utgawa HIROSHIGE (1797-1858)
Click here to view image full size.
Kurodai, black sea bream (Acantho pagus schlegeli) and akadai, red bream (Pagus tumifrons) together with bamboo shoots and Japanese pepper. Poems by Tomigaki Uchiyasu and Kaoan Hoshi. From the first series of ten plus one prints published by Eijudo, c. 1832-34. The set was issued privately for a poetry group (probably the Shingyoku Circle) with judges’ names and extra poems. These prints are of the utmost rarity as probably only enough for the Circle were printed and they seldom come onto the market.
Fine, early impression before the grey block defect on the tail of the black sea bream. Fine colour. Slight centre fold (as usual), otherwise very good condition. Full size. Kruml 10b (Andon 49). Signed Ichiyusai Hiroshige.
Status: Sold
Utgawa HIROSHIGE (1797-1858)
Click here to view image full size.
An uncut fan print from a set of views of Ise: Ise meisho, Asakumayama toge no chamise, “Teahouses on the Mount Asakuma Pass, Famous Places of Ise Province.” Hiroshige used this same view about a decade later for no.7 from the set The Sixty-odd Provinces. He cleverly uses the cliff sides to wrap around the uchiwa-e shape. Published c.1840. Extremely rare: This actual impression illustrated in Hiroshige no uchiwa-e, Unsodo, 2010, p.78, pl.108. Ex collection Maroni with seal at bottom. (His collection was sold at public auction at Kende Galleries, N.Y. 1947-9.)
Fine impression and colour. Centre fold (as often), otherwise very good condition. Signed Hiroshige ga.
Status: Sold
Utgawa HIROSHIGE (1797-1858)
Click here to view image full size.
An original drawing, being a preparatory sketch for a painting, sumi and red under-drawing on paper, mounted as a kakemono. Image size 10.5 x 13 in; 26.5 x 33 cms. An unusual view of the Husband and Wife rocks, Meoto Iwa, “Married Couple Stones,” off Futami, Mie, Japan. They are sacred to the Shinto religion and worshippers flock to the neighbouring Futami Okitama Shrine, which is dedicated to the food goddess Miketsu. In this drawing the emphasis is on the worshippers and travellers seen here in the centre and right.
In very good condition. A spurious signature and seal bottom right. There are others drawings with the same signature and seal on otherwise perfectly genuine works.
Status: Sold
Click here to view image full size.
Utgawa HIROSHIGE (1797-1858)
Click here to view image full size.
One of a set: Edo Murasaki meisho Genji, “Murasaki’s Genji in Famous Places of Edo.” Mitate Ukifune Sumidagawa no watashi, “A Parody of Ukifune Crossing the Sumida River.” Shows a beauty on a ferry crossing the Sumida River in heavy snow, representing Ukifune, one of the court ladies of the Genji Monogatari. Stylised clouds above and below copying the traditional kiri-gane gold found on Yamato-e scrolls. These Genji pictures were popular at this time to circumvent the reforms of 1842. Published by Kinseido (his seal also appearing on the umbrella bottom right). A rare set.
Fine impression. Very good colour. Minor soil, otherwise very good condition. Signed Hiroshige ga.
Status: Sold
Utgawa HIROSHIGE (1797-1858)
Click here to view image full size.
A beauty from a set: Edo meisho gosho, “Five Elements of Famous Places in Edo.” This design representing Water of Kameido, Kameido no mizu, and Metal of Ueno, Uenoji no kane. A rare set published by Kikakudo, c. 1847-52.
Very fine impression, colour and condition. Signed Hiroshige ga.
Status: Sold