Keisai EISEN (1790-1848)
Click here to view image full size.
A high-ranking courtesan ( oiran ) looking over her shoulder. From a set of six prints: Bijin kaichu kagami – Jisei rokkassen: Ariwara no Narihira, “ A Pocket Mirror of Beauties – Six Immortal Poets of the Era: Ariwara no Narihira.” The set compares the beauties to the six “immortal” waka poets of the 9th/10th centuries. The maple leaves on the oiran’s collar identify the subject as compared to the poet Ariwara no Narihira ( 825-880 A.D. ). The set published by Senichi, c 1826-28.
Fine early impression. Fine colour. Very slight soil, otherwise fine condition. Full size. Signed Keisai Eisen ga.
Status: Available
Ishikawa TOYONOBU (1711-1785)
Click here to view image full size.
A wide hashira-e ( 27.5 x 10 in; 70 x 25.5 cms ). Urushi-e, hand-coloured in beni, blue, yellow, mustard and lilac. These early majestic Toyonobu prints are amongst the masterpieces of Ukiyoe. Of the utmost rarity: From a set of three prints of Beauties of the Three Capitals. Sanpukutsui Keichu, “ A Set of Three: Within Kyoto.”The other two designs show women from Edo and Osaka. The only other impression is illustrated in the Bulletin of the Worcester Art Museum, April, 1915, p. 8. There is also a hosoban triptych of same subject by Toyonobu, c 1750s, in the Museum of Fine Arts Boston, accession number: 11.19672. This cheaper production follows the designs of the larger prints closely and was obviously intended to cash in on their popularity. Other similar designs were in the Vever sales, Sothebys, 26/3/1974 and 26/3/1975. Shows a standing courtesan with a pipe, her acolyte holding her tobacco tray. Published c 1747 by Mura ( Murata-ya ) hammoto.
Fine impression with extremely fine and delicate hand-colouring. Very slight creasing and very slight browning but otherwise in exceptional condition. Signed Tanjodo Ishikawa Shuha Toyonobu zu. Seals Toyonobu and Ishikawa uji.
Status: Available
Kitao SHIGEMASA (1739-1820)
Click here to view image full size.
Kanzashi no seiran, “Clearing Weather of the Hairpin” from a chuban set Jochu tedogu hakkei, “Eight Views of Women’s Utensils.” Published c. 1777. Another from the set published in the Clarence Buckingham Collection of Japanese Prints, Margaret O. Gentles, vol. II, The Art Institute of Chicago, 1965, no. 21, p. 283.
Very good impression, colour and condition. Unsigned.
Status: Available
Utagawa TOYOKUNI II ( TOYOSHIGE ) (1777-1835)
Click here to view image full size.
A courtesan with a toothpick and playing with a cat compared to the actor Iwai Hanshiro V ( inset in a sake cup top right ). From a series Imayo bijin awase, shinsei sugatami sakazuki, “A Comparison of Modern Beauties – A New Mirror of Sake Cups.” Published by Imariya Ushizo, c 1820-24.
Very good impression, colour and condition. Extensive mica added to the coat of the courtesan. Signed Toyokuni ga.
Status: Available
Utagawa TOYOKUNI I (1769-1825)
Click here to view image full size.
Shows a seated lady holding a fan compared to the actor Segawa Senjo ( previously known as Segawa Kikunojo III, inset in fan upper left ). From a series Ukiyo butai-ko Senjo-fu, “Fragrance from the Floating World’s Stage, in the Style of Senjo.” Published by Tsumuraya Saburobei, c 1810.
Fine impression. Light yellow ground. Very good colour and condition. Signed Toyokuni ga with an unidentified collector’s seal.
Status: Available
Torii KIYOMINE ( KIYOMITSU II ) (1787-1868)
Click here to view image full size.
Beauties on the beach at Kamakura with white cranes. This is an allusion or pastiche ( mitate ) of the story that Minamoto Yoritomo’s favourite amusement was flying cranes with labels attached to their legs requesting those who saw them to report the fact and fly them again. Kiyomine, a pupil of Kiyonaga, used – as here – the Kiyomine signature on his early work, c 1815. Published by Eijudo han ( Nishimura-ya ).
Very good impression and colour. Small area repaired wormage, otherwise very good condition. Signed Kiyomine ga.
Status: Available
Suzuki HARUNOBU (1724-1770)
Click here to view image full size.
A chuban showing the courtesan Matsukaze of the Ogi-ya House from a set of prints: Ukiyo kika, “Strange Flowers of the Floating World.” Shows the courtesan parading outside a Yoshiwara house with her two kamuro. One of the most influential ukiyo-e artists taking full advantage of polychrome printing in 1765 and publishing a large number of exquisite prints, often with innovative pigments and on thick hosho. Published c late 1760s. Another impression in Yoshida, Harunobu zenshu, p. 128.
Fine impression. Slight fading otherwise very good condition. Signed Harunobu ga.
Status: Available
Keisai EISEN (1790-1848)
Click here to view image full size.
An amorous couple prior to coitus. One of the three best designs from a set of twelve prints: Keisei higo, “Secret Words of a Courtesan” published c 1822-25. Although the set comes under the shunga heading, each print is an abuna-e design, without any graphic detail. Fine composition.
Fine impression and colour. Laid onto board from the original album. Small wormage and slight centre fold ( as usual ), otherwise good condition.
Status: Available
Keisai EISEN (1790-1848)
Click here to view image full size.
An amorous couple on a balcony with a large full moon. One of the three best designs from a set of twelve prints: Keisei higo, “Secret Words of a Courtesan” published c 1822-25. Although the set comes under the shunga heading, each print is an abuna-e design, without any graphic detail. Fine composition.
Fine impression and colour. Laid onto board from the original album. Small wormage and slight centre fold ( as usual ), otherwise good condition.
Status: Available
Keisai EISEN (1790-1848)
Click here to view image full size.
A winter scene with an amorous couple in a boat keeping warm beneath a huge duvet. One of the three best designs from a set of twelve prints: Keisei higo, “Secret Words of a Courtesan” published c 1822-25. Although the set comes under the shunga heading, each print is an abuna-e design, without any graphic detail.
Fine impression and colour. Laid onto board from the original album. Small wormage and slight centre fold ( as usual ), otherwise good condition.
Status: Available
Tsukioka YOSHITOSHI (1839-1892)
Click here to view image full size.
Looking Itchy: The Appearance of a Kept Woman of the Kaei Era ( 1848-1854 ). From the set Thirty-two Aspects of Women published by Tsunashima Kamekichi, 1888. Shows a dishabille beauty emerging from a mosquito net. One of the two or three best designs from the set.
Very fine impression, colour and condition. Pristine. The first edition. Signed Yoshitoshi ga.
Status: Available
Kitagawa UTAMARO (1753-1806)
Click here to view image full size.
An aiban print: Junidan hana no nishiki, “Twelve Chapters of Floral Brocades” from Seiro Niwaka zensei asobi, “Most Splendid Entertainment of the Niwaka Festival in the Licensed Quarters.” The Festival was held in September in the Edo Yoshiwara district. Shows Minamoto no Yoshitsune visiting Princess Joruri. Not listed in Yoshida or Shibui, Ukiyoe zuten, although another version is in Yoshida, Utamaro zenshu on page 162. Published c 1802 by Yamashiroya Toemon.
Fine impression, colour and condition. Perfect colour. Signed Utamaro hitsu.
Status: Sold
Utagawa KUNIYOSHI (1797-1861)
Click here to view image full size.
A vertical diptych of a salt-water gatherer. These girls are often depicted in ukiyoe and seem to have held a fascination with the public akin to that for ama divers. Published by Jimpachi, c 1840.
Very good impression and colour. Sheets separated. Minor signs of being mounted around edge, otherwise good condition. ( These vertical diptychs of this date and earlier were usually mounted onto inexpensive paper mounts. A poor man’s version of kakemono paintings. ) Signed Cho-o-ro Kuniyoshi ga.
Status: Sold
Kochoro KUNISADA (1786-1865)
Click here to view image full size.
Tumekiri yoshi, “A Good Day to Trim One’s Nails” from Hanagoyami kichijitsu sugata “Beauties on Auspicious Days of the Flower Calendar.” A beauty in a bathrobe with scissors about to trim her toenails. The scissors have a small bell which is usually seen around the necks of cats. Published 1844.
Fine impression and colour. Superb cutting and printing of the aizuri design on the bathrobe. Very slight trimming. Retains original album backing. Signed Kunisada aratame nidaime Toyokuni ga, “Kunisada changing his name to the second of the name Toyokuni drew.”
Status: Available
Kochoro KUNISADA (1786-1865)
Click here to view image full size.
The colour white from Ukiyo goshoku awase, “Matching with Five Colours of the Floating World.” A beauty before a mirror holding another mirror behind her to enable her to apply white make-up to the nape of her neck. A highly erogenous area to the Japanese. Published by Sanoya Kihei, 1845.
Very good impression and colour. Slight trimming and retains original album backing. Signed Kunisada aratame nidaime Toyokuni ga, “Kunisada changing his name to the second of the name Toyokuni drew.”
Status: Available
Ichiyusai KUNIYOSHI (1797-1861)
Click here to view image full size.
A beauty powdering her face. From Kuniyoshi’s finest set of fan prints. An untitled series of at least eight designs showing young women in a state of dishabille at their toilette in front of mirrors, the corners partly concealed with cloth covers. Published c 1843-5 by Ibaya Sensaburo. For obvious reasons, uncut uchiwa-e are scarce. Indeed, there appears to be only one other impression of this design illustrated in an Exhibition of Ukiyo-e by Kuniyoshi, Riccar Art Museum, 1978, no. 172 and elsewhere ( from the Museum of Fine Arts, Bidwell Collection, Springfield USA ). The other known prints from this rare set are: 1) A beauty applying rouge to her lips; 2) A beauty shaving her forehead; 3) A beauty suckling a child; 4) A beauty adjusting her hair with scissors; 5) A beauty playing with a cat; 6) A beauty combing her hair; 7) A beauty about to brush her teeth.
Very good impression and colour. One small repaired wormhole, otherwise good condition. Uncut. The rich blue grounds on this series have added mica. Signed Ichiyusai Kuniyoshi ga.
Status: Sold
Kitagawa UTAMARO (1753-1806)
Click here to view image full size.
Mishima, Province of Settsu ( or Toi ) from a set of Six Crystal ( Tama ) Rivers, Furyu mu tamagawa. The streams were noted for the purity of their water and the three girls are shown fulling cloth ( hence Toi which is the alternative name of the river and the word for beating cloth ). Published by Izumiya Ichibei, c.1803-4. This appears to be from a set – like others of Utamaro’s – that could be viewed separately or as a continuous composition. See Yoshida, Utamaro zenshu, p. 173 for another design from the set. Rare.
Fine impression and colour. Full size. One minor mark, otherwise very good condition. Signed Utamaro fude.
Status: Available
Utagawa TOYOKUNI (1769-1825)
Click here to view image full size.
Shows Tamagiku of the House of Tama from the extremely rare set of seven prints Bijin nanakomachi, “Beauties of the Seven Komachi” from Toyokuni’s best period ( c.1793-7 ). A parody of the Noh play Sekidera Komachi showing the courtesan writing a letter to her client. To her left is Komachi’s poem about aging. Ono no Komachi, the beautiful ninth century poetess, was inspiration for many prints. Ex Matsuki collection.
Fine impression and colour with extensive embossing. Yellow ground. Full size. Fine condition. Signed Toyokuni ga.
Status: Available
Kikugawa EIZAN (1787-1867)
Click here to view image full size.
An early Eizan published c. 1810s by Shimizu. Seiro Niwaka zensei ki, “Popular Entertainment at the Niwaka Festival.” Aizuga yanagi koshizuki, with a list of entertainers. This event during the 8th month of every year in the Edo Yoshiwara involved dancing and music and girls dressed – as here, lower right figure – as men.
Superb impression and colour’ Slight browning of the thick hosho and small nick out of top left edge, otherwise very good condition. Full size. Signed Eizan hitsu.
Status: Sold
Tsukioka YOSHITOSHI (1839-1892)
Click here to view image full size.
Looking Itchy: The Appearance of a Kept Woman of the Kaei Era ( 1848 – 1854 ). From the set: Thirty-two Aspects of Women published by Tsunashima Kamekichi, 1888. Shows a dishabille beauty emerging from a mosquito net. One of the two or three best designs from the set.
Fine impression of the first edition. Fine colour and condition with the extra paper at left edge and the full handling area showing bottom right. Signed Yoshitoshi ga.
Status: Sold
Yushido SHUNCHO (Fl. C 1780-95)
Click here to view image full size.
A chuban print showing beauties sight-seeing on the Sumida River. From a set of ten prints of views of Koto ( an area of Edo bounded by the Sumidagawa to the west and Arakawa to the east ). Published by Enomoto, c 1790.
Very good impression. Exceptionally well preserved colour: the fugitive pigments intact. Very slight soil, otherwise very good condition. Full size.
Status: Sold
Chobunsai EISHI (1756-1829)
Click here to view image full size.
An aiban from a set of four prints: Shiki warabe asobi, a series of prints comparing young children to the four seasons. Another from the set is illustrated in Estampes Japonaises. Collection des Musees royeaux d’Art et d’Histoire, Bruxelles, 1989, cat. 319, p. XXXIX ( incorrectly attributed to Eisho ). Published by Izumiya Ichibei 1795-6.
Very good impression, colour and condition. Full size. Signed Eishi.
Status: Available
Hosoda EISHI (1756-1829)
Click here to view image full size.
An extremely rare hosoban showing the oiran Hanaogi with her two kamuro from the House of Ogi. This appears to have been from a series as I had another design from the set in my Catalogue 8, 1972, no 38, showing Hinazuru of Choji-ya. Another Eishi hosoban appeared in the Sotheby sale catalogue, July 1963, lot 195. A rare format for anything other than actor prints during this period. Published c 1792. Ex Mellor and P & L Warnock collections. Illustrated in The Floating World Exhibition: Japan’s World of Transient Pleasures, The Art Gallery of South Wales, Sydney, 1994, no. C6.
Very good impression and colour. Printed in tones of pale mauve and grey with details in yellow. Light yellow ground. Some slight soil. Signed Eishi ga.
Status: Sold
Kitagawa KIKUMARO (Fl. c. ? – 1830)
Click here to view image full size.
Ryogoku Bridge from a set: Edo meisho mitate ju kei, “A Parody of Ten Famous Places in Edo.” Shows pleasure boats cooling off between the trestles of the bridge. The Ryogoku was often depicted by Hiroshige and other artists, especially with fireworks over the bridge to celebrate the “Opening of the River” on the 28th day of the 5th month. Published by Yamashiroya Tokei (?), c. 1803. Ex Hayashi collection, sealed bottom right.
Very good impression, colour and condition. Signed Kikumaro hitsu. ( Kikumaro signed thus between 1795 – 1805. )
Status: Sold
Tsukioka YOSHITOSHI (1839-1892)
Click here to view image full size.
Looking Tiresome: The Appearance of a Virgin of the Kansei Era ( 1789 – 1802 ). From the set: Thirty-two Aspects of Women published by Tsunashima Kamekichi, 1888. The young girl strokes a pet cat.
Very fine impression of the first edition with the cat’s fur strongly blind-printed. Fine colour. Miniscule trimming on left, otherwise very good condition. Signed Yoshitoshi ga.
Status: Sold
Utagawa KUNICHIKA (1835-1900)
Click here to view image full size.
A young girl seated to have her photograph taken, the plate camera with dark cloth draped over, to the right. From a series Kaika ninjo kagami, “A Mirror of Modern Manners and Customs, ” sub-title “Photographs.” Photography took off quickly in Japan and there were a considerable number of photographic studios in Tokyo in the 1870′s. However, there are only a few prints as early as this showing cameras. Published 1878.
Very fine impression with extensive burnishing. Fine colour. Minor trimming and light album backing. Signed Toyohara Kunichika fude.
Status: Sold
Kitagawa UTAMARO (1753-1806)
Click here to view image full size.
The lovers Miuraya Agemaki and Yorozuya Sukeroku from the set: Jitsu kurabe iro no minakami, “True Feelings Compared: The Founts of Love.” A series of half-length portraits from joruri love-suicide plays with the addition of several other famous couples. This design depicts a scene from the second half of a “Sukeroku” play showing the hero Yorozuya no Sukeroku and the courtesan Agemaki from the Shimabara quarter: Sukeroku kills Ikyu, steals the heirloom sword Tomokiri-maru and the two lovers escape after Sukeroku gets soaked hiding in a water butt, and then being hidden in the voluminous surcoat of Agemaki [ as shown here ]. The set published c 1798-9 by Nishimuraya. Ex collection Adolphe Stoclet, sold Sothebys 2004, lot 239, p. 139. Bought from Murakami 17/6/1908. Other impressions: Vever, Part 1, 1974, lot 197, p. 168 ( trimmed ); Shibui, Zuten, p. 110, no. 8; Yoshida, Utamaro, 1941, no. 365; TNM, vol. 2, no. 1896. Unidentified collector’s seal bottom right.
Very good impression and colour. Slightly trimmed at top and minimally at bottom. Small edge repair. Signed Utamaro hitsu.
Status: Sold
Utagawa KUNIYOSHI (1797-1861)
Click here to view image full size.
A beauty having taken a bath wears a loose fitting yukata with a tenugui slung over one shoulder. She is about to brush her teeth. From Kuniyoshi’s finest set of fan prints. An untitled series of at least six designs showing young women in a state of dishabille at their toilette in front of mirrors, the corners partly concealed with cloth covers. Published c 1843-5 by Ibaya Sensaburo. For obvious reasons, uncut uchiwa-e are scarce. Indeed, this example might be unique. The other known prints from this rare set are: 1) A beauty powdering her face; 2) A beauty shaving her forehead; 3) A beauty suckling a child; 4) A beauty adjusting her hair with scissors; 5) A beauty playing with a cat.
Very good impression and colour. Slight soil top and bottom right corners, otherwise good condition. Uncut. The rich blue grounds on this series have added mica. Signed Cho-o-ro Kuniyoshi ga.
Status: Sold
Isoda KORYUSAI (Fl. c 1764–1788)
Click here to view image full size.
A chuban print entitled Yu, “Evening,” showing the courtesan Matsushita of Matsubaya with two acolytes. Koryusai was an ex samurai. Well known for excellent and rare kacho and some fine hashira-e. Published c early 1770s. Ex collection Paul-Louis de la Noe, 1879-1919, ( an acquaintance of the Goncourt brothers, Bing and Hayashi ). Rare.
Fine impression. Fine well retained fugitive pigments. Slight soil at bottom, otherwise very good condition. Signed Koryu ga.
Status: Available
Nishimura SHIGENAGA (1697 ? –1756)
Click here to view image full size.
The centre sheet of a triptych: Sampuku –tsui, Yashiki fu, “A set of Three Prints in the Style of a Grand House.” Shows a young beauty holding a wooden box, a sprig of cherry blossom and a flower in a paper holder. An important artist, teacher and innovator. Urushi-e, coloured by hand: Beni, mustard, yellow and blue with extensive gold powder and heavy lacquered sumi over embossed lines. Published c 1730 by Hammoto, Motohama-cho, Iga-ya. Ex collection Walter von Scheven, 1878 – 1950, and purchased by him from Altkunst, Berlin in 1925. Illustrated as frontispiece in J. Kurth, Die Primitiven des Japanholzschnitts, Dresden, 1922. A beautiful example of the artist’s work. A beautiful and extremely rare print.
Fine impression. Very slight soil and edge repaired wormage, otherwise very good condition. Signed Nihon gako Nishimura Shigenaga hitsu.
Status: Sold