Ichiryusai HIROSHIGE (1797-1858)
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Heavy wind and rain in Yamabushidani, Mimasaka Province from the Famous Places in the Sixty-Odd Provinces. Published by Koshimuraya Heisuke and dated Ox 12 (1853). The best design after the Whirlpool at Naruto. The very rare first edition.
Very fine impression; fine colour. Minor backed edge wormage, otherwise fine condition. After this first edition there are numerous variant states. Signed Hiroshige ga.
Status: Sold
Ichiryusai HIROSHIGE (1797-1858)
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Evening snow , Asukayama from the set: Eight Views of the Suburbs of Edo. Published by Kikakudo c 1837-8. One of Hiroshige’s earliest and finest sets. The first private issue of these prints (for the poet Taihaido) had three poems. This state has two. Extremely rare.
Fine impression and colour. Slight centre fold and trimmed close. Extensive splashed gofun. Signed Hiroshige ga.
Status: Sold
Ichiryusai HIROSHIGE (1797-1858)
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The Whirlpool at Naruto, Awa Province, from the Famous Places in the Sixty-Odd Provinces. Published by Koshimuraya Heisuke and dated Hare 9 (1855). The best design from the set.
Very good impression; good colour. Minor discoloration, otherwise very good condition. Signed Hiroshige ga.
Status: Sold
Ichiryusai HIROSHIGE (1797-1858)
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Heavy snow with geisha in front of the torii in the Gion district of Kyoto. From the fine early set of ten prints: Famous Places in Kyoto, published by Eisendo c1835. The first edition of this set has the publisher’s mark and kiwame seal in blue in right margin. (There are also two first edition states of this design – one with gradation on the roofs. the other without. See Suzuki, Utagawa Hiroshige, nos 106/7.) This impression, although the second edition, is still much sought after and rare.
Very good impression and colour. Faint centre fold, otherwise fine condition. Signed Hiroshige ga.
Status: Sold
Ichiryusai HIROSHIGE (1797-1858)
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A mist scene showing Oyashiro Shinto Temple, Izumo Province from the Famous Places in the Sixty-Odd Provinces. Published by Koshimuraya Heisuke and dated Ox12 (1853)
Good impression; very good colour. Minor marks on bottom margin, otherwise very good condition. Signed Hiroshige ga.
Status: Sold
Katsushika HOKUSAI (1760-1849)
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Poem by Fujiwara no Michinobu Ason ( 972-994 ) from the set Hyakunin isshu oba ga etoki, ‘The Hundred Poems Explained by the Wet Nurse’. Published by Nishimuraya Yohachi ( the first five ) and Ise Sanjiro ( as here ) the next twenty two, c late 1830s. This poem tells of a lover’s despair at having to part from his beloved at daybreak.
Very fine impression of the first edition: On subsequent editions the characters on the lantern ( which read ‘Iseya’ ) beneath the kago are changed; the break top left of title cartouche shows strongly, and pigments are used which do not oxidise on the path and background. Very fine colour. Slight stain bottom right corner, otherwise fine. Signed Zen Hokusai manji.
Status: Sold
Ichiryusai HIROSHIGE (1797-1858)
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Hira no bosetsu, ‘Evening Snow on Mount Hira’ from the first Omi Hakkei set published by Eisendo and Hoeido, c1834. One of Hiroshige’s best designs.
Fine early impression with the mountain printed. Fine gradation and colour. On full size totally untrimmed paper. Near perfect condition. ( Later editions add green to the colour scheme: See E F Strange, Hiroshige, Cassell & Co, 1925, colour pl. op.p.172. ) Signed Hiroshige ga.
Status: Sold
Ichiryusai HIROSHIGE (1797-1858)
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The great lantern at the Kinryuzan Temple, Asakusa, in snow. Asakusa Kinryuzan from The Hundred Views of Edo, Meisho Edo hyakkei. The set published by Uoya Eikichi with this design dated Ansei lll/7 (1856). This is the exceptionally rare first edition. The best way of discerning this (apart, obviously, from the quality of impression) is that only the first edition uses the vegetable pigment beni on the lantern and on the door to the left: All subsequent editions mixed in red lead to give a brighter colour (which usually oxidizes). (The temple still stands and looks not unlike Hiroshige’s depiction.)
Fine impression and colour, with mica added. Very small expertly repaired wormage bottom right margin otherwise fine. Seals intact. Signed Hiroshige ga.
Status: Sold
Katsushika HOKUSAI (1760-1849)
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Joshu Ushibori from Fugaku sanju-rokkei, the “Thirty-Six views of Mount Fuji”. The set published by Eijudo c1829-33. Probably the most difficult design from the set to find in early impression. (There exist first printings entirely in blue, but they are extremely rare.)
Very good early impression (blue outline) with very good colour. Slight centre fold, otherwise very good condition. Signed Zen Hokusai Iitsu ga
Status: Available
Ichiyusai HIROSHIGE II (1826-1869)
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A rainy evening. Akasaka, Kiribataka. The substitute print for design 48 by Hiroshige I from “The One Hundred Views of Edo” published by Uoei between 1856 and 1859 (this being Sheep 6, 1859). A lovely design and superior to the print it replaced.
Very good impression, colour and condition. Signed “The second” Hiroshige ga.
Status: Sold
Keisai EISEN (1790-1848)
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Early morning snow on Nihonbashi. The first design from Kisokaido rokujukyu-tsugi, “The Sixty-Nine Stations of the Kiso Highway” published c1836 by Takeuchi and Hoeido. The extremely rare first edition with rising sun, publisher’s name on umbrella and signature: There are at least three later states of this design.
Superb impression and colour. One very small backed wormhole, otherwise very fine condition with extra large margins and complete seal at left. Signed Eisen ga.
Status: Sold
Ichiryusai HIROSHIGE (1797-1858)
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Beauties and snow on the Sumida River. The winter scene from a set of four triptychs of famous places in the four seasons. Published by Marujin, 1848-49. Considered to be Hiroshige’s finest design in this genre. Illustrated on covers of Eight Hundred Years Of Japanese Printmaking, Museum Of Art Carnegie Institute, 1977.
Very good impression with perfect colour, Full size and matching. Original backing sheets, Fine condition. Signed Hiroshige ga. (There were some cracks in the blocks for this design and they appear on every known impression.)
Status: Sold
Ichiryusai HIROSHIGE (1797-1858)
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Tsuchiyama from The Fifty-Three Stations of the Tokaido. The set published 1833-34 by Takenouchi Magohachi and Tsuruya Kiemon, Shows a daimyo’s procession crossing a stream in heavy rain.
Very good early impression. Very good colour, Small paper flaw near left edge otherwise very good condition,. Signed Hiroshige ga
Status: Sold
Ichiryusai HIROSHIGE (1797-1858)
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Kambara, Station 16, from The Fifty-Three Stations of the Tokaido, generally known as the Reisho Tokaido. Published c1850-51 by Maruya Seijiro.
Extremely fine first edition with the deluxe red pigment in cartouche. Fine colour and condition with extra paper on right for publisher’s seal. Signed Hiroshige ga.
Status: Sold
Ichiryusai HIROSHIGE (1797-1858)
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Hakone tochiba no zue, “Hakone Spa” from the set Honcho Meisho, “Views of Our Homeland”. An excessively rare set published by Fujihiko, c mid 1830s. I have never noted another impression of this design for sale. The complete set, which contains some of Hiroshige’s rarest masterpieces, is illustrated in Utagawa Hiroshige, Juzo Suzuki, nos 438 – 452.
Fine impression, colour and condition. Signed Hiroshige ga.
Status: Sold
Keisai EISEN (1790-1848)
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The Ina River Bridge, Nojiri from the series Kisokaido rokujukyu-tsugi, “The Sixty-Nine Stations of the Kiso Highway”, published c.1836 by Takeuchi and Hoeido. Extremely rare first state of first edition of this fine design: Only the earliest edition has the geese above and beneath the bridge, the extra peaks in the same area and to the far top left. Also the signature is only found on earliest state. See Lane, Images from the Floating World, no.194 (A-B), p.190.
Very good impression and colour. Very slight centrefold otherwise good condition. Signed Keisai ga.
Status: Sold
Ichiryusai HIROSHIGE (1797-1858)
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Aki, Itsukushima Sairei-no zu. Aki is the old name for Hiroshima. The beautiful Torii of Itsukushima Shrine at Miyajima is considered to be one of the three best views in Japan. Published Ox12 (1853) by Koshimuraya Heisuke from the Famous Places in the Sixty-Odd Provinces.
Fine, very early impression. Fine coloured and condition. Signed Hiroshige ga.
Status: Available
Ichiryusai HIROSHIGE (1797-1858)
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The Urami Falls, Mt. Nikko, Shimotsuke Province, Shimotsuke, Nikkosan Urami no taki from the Famous Places in the Sixty-Odd Provinces. Published Ox 8 (1853) by Koshimuraya Heisuke.
Fine, very early impression but not the earliest of all (see Pulverer impression). However, this is one of those cases where the earliest is not the preferred state: The Pulverer copy has the waterfall printed solid blue whereas this impression has the water blind-printed and the gradation on the side making for a more beautiful composition. Fine colour. Minor soil, otherwise very good condition. Signed Hiroshige ga.
Status: Sold
Ichiryusai HIROSHIGE (1797-1858)
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The temple compound if the Akiba Shrine, Ukiji, Ukiji Akiba no keidai, from The Hundred Views of Famous Spots in Edo. Published Snake 8 (1857) by Uoya Eikichi.
Fine impression and colour. Minor mark au verso left margin, otherwise fine condition. This is the earliest edition with the break in the character “eight” in the date seal top margin. The figure sketching on the verandah, bottom left, is supposed to be Hiroshige. Signed Hiroshige ga.
Status: Sold
Ichiryusai HIROSHIGE (1797-1858)
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Fulling cloth beneath a full moon. Toi Tama-qawa in Settsu Province from the set Six Tama Rivers. One of the two best designs from the set. Published circa early 1830s.
Fine impression and colour. Minor repair extreme top edge, otherwise fine condition. Signed Hiroshige ga. A beautiful print.
Status: Available
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: Available
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
Katsushika HOKUSAI (1760-1849)
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Kanagawa Oki Nami-ura from the “Thirty-six Views of Fuji”. The set of forty-six prints published between 1823 and 1829 by Eijudo. Probably the most eulogised Japanese print and the masterpiece from the set as well as being one of the world’s great graphic images.
Medium impression. Blue outline. Very full size. Signed Zen Hokusai I-itsu hitsu.
Status: Sold
Utagawa KUNISADA (1786-1865)
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An early and apparently unrecorded chuban triptych showing, on first sheet, an awabi diver near Enoshima surfacing to supply a party on a balcony, far left. Published c.1810s.
Expert repairs in sky, otherwise good impression, colour and condition. Unsigned.
Status: Available
Ichiryusai HIROSHIGE (1797-1858)
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A rare complete triptych hanshita-e (original drawing for a print). Presumably never published. A procession at Akasaka (?).
Signed Hiroshige ga on first sheet.
Status: Available