Ichiryusai HIROSHIGE (1797-1858)
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Kazusa Kuroto no ura, “The Bay of Kuroto in Kazusa” from a set Shokoku meisho zukai, “Famous Views of the Provinces.” An uncut fan print published by Iseya Soyemon, c 1854. Shows women in a ferry with ships being unloaded in the background and Mount Fuji beyond. Another design from the set is illustrated in Tamba, Hiroshige shodai, 1965, pl. 176. Hiroshige designed a number of fans in collaboration with Kunisada, but these are seldom successful designs as opposed to these “pure” compositions. Rare.
Fine impression and colour and, apart from a small backed hole, in fine condition. Signed Hiroshige ga.
Status: Sold
Shibata ZESHIN (1807-1891)
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An uchiwa-e showing a pair of mandarin ducks amongst bulrushes. Extremely rare and possibly unique.
Very good impression and colour. The fan has been dismounted from its bamboo frame, hence the rib marks show. Slight soil. Signed Zeshin with Tairyukyo seal ( referring to his home near the Kanda River. Used after 1832 ).
Status: Sold
Utagawa KUNISADA (1786-1865)
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An aizuri-e ( with red lightning ) fan print showing the actor Bando Mitsugoro IV as Kan Shojo in the play Sugawara denju tenarai kagami, “Sugawara’s Secrets of Calligraphy” performed at the Nakamura Theatre, 5/1832. This is the Mt Tempai scene where Kan Shojo, in a rage, transforms himself into a demon surrounded by a thunderbolt. A famous scene, indeed the play was repeated at another theatre just four months later. Published by Ibaya Sensaburo, 1832. Rare: Most probably the only impression extant of this fine design.
Fine impression. Minimal soil and trimmed to fan shape. Signed Kunisada ga.
Status: Sold
Ichiryusai HIROSHIGE (1797-1858)
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An ogi-e fan print showing a camellia flower and a magnolia ( ? ) bud and flower. This appears to be the only surviving example of this design having been rescued from an actual fan. Published by Maruya Seijiro, 1852. Excessively rare: Hiroshige only designed a few ogi-e format fans, most being in the round uchiwa-e style. ( For another, see Hiroshige, Matthi Forrer, catalogue of exhibition at Royal Academy of Arts, London, 1997, no. 80. ) Ex Hayashi collection and another unidentified seal au verso.
Good impression and colour. The white camellia blind printed. The fan’s rib marks evident and trimmed to the fan shape. Signed Hiroshige ga.
Status: Sold
Ikeda AYAOKA (active Kaei-Meiji periods)
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An untrimmed fan print showing a parody of the Yoshiwara, the courtesans and customers depicted as grasshoppers. Published c.1880’s.
Fine impression and colour. Slight centre-fold, otherwise fine condition. Signed Ayaoka.
Status: Sold
Ichiyusai KUNIYOSHI (1797-1861)
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An uchiwa-e ( fan print ) showing a young girl leaning over the side of a boat and wetting a towel. “Cool” from a set of six prints: Imayo rokkasen, “Six Modern Choises for Summer”. Published 2/1853. Unidentified publisher.
Superb impression, colour and condition. Signed Ichiyusai Kuniyoshi ga.
Status: Sold
Onishi CHINNEN (1792-1851)
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An uncut uchiwa-e ( fan print ) showing a turtle swimming amongst water-lilies and minnows. Chinnen, one of the culminating artists of the Shijo movement, is best known for his illustrated books ( Azuma no teburi and Sonan gafu ) and his brush drawings and paintings. Apart from this there are a number of surimono designed by him. This fan print is almost certainly the only existing impression. Published c 1829 when Chinnen was at the height of his powers, and showing his favourite subject, turtles. Excessively rare.
Very good impression and colour. Minor corner soil and marks, otherwise very good condition. Signed Chinnen.
Status: Sold
Utagawa TOYOKUNI II (1777-1835)
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A bust portrait of a beauty in the form of a fan from a series of the Six Tama Rivers, this being the Ide (or Hagi) no Tamagawa in Yamashiro. Published by Tsujiokaya Bunsuke with date seal 1823.
Very fine impression and colour. Very faint centrefold. Signed Toyokuni ga.
Status: Sold
Katsukawa SHUN’EI (1769-1819)
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An aizuri-e fan print: Oji from Edo Hakkei. Apparently an unrecorded print.
Very good impression and colour. Several repaired wormholes at bottom, otherwise good condition. Signed Shunei ga.
Status: Sold
Utagawa KUNISADA (1786-1865)
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Bust portraits of girls from a set of fan prints with title “A Parody of Six Elegant Selections”, comparing these beauties to inset view of blooms.
Fine impression, colour and condition; untrimmed. Signed Kochoro Kunisada ga.
Status: Sold
Utagawa KUNISADA (1786-1865)
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Bust portraits of girls from a set of fan prints with title “A Parody of Six Elegant Selections”, comparing these beauties to inset view of blooms.
Fine impression, colour and condition; untrimmed. Signed Kochoro Kunisada ga.
Status: Sold
Utagawa KUNISADA (1786-1865)
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Bust portraits of girls from a set of fan prints with title “A Parody of Six Elegant Selections”, comparing these beauties to inset view of blooms.
Fine impression, colour and condition; untrimmed. Signed Kochoro Kunisada ga.
Status: Sold
Utagawa KUNISADA (1786-1865)
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Bust portraits of girls from a set of fan prints with title “A Parody of Six Elegant Selections”, comparing these beauties to inset view of blooms.
Fine impression, colour and condition; untrimmed. Signed Kochoro Kunisada ga.
Status: Sold
Ichiyusai KUNIYOSHI (1797-1861)
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A fan print showing a young girl holding a cat as reflected in a mirror. Of the utmost rarity. Published by Iba-ya Sensaburo.
Fine impression, very good colour and condition. Mica on blue ground. Untrimmed. Signed Cho-o-ro Kuniyoshi ga.
Status: Sold
Utagawa KUNIYOSHI (1797-1861)
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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
Ichiyusai KUNIYOSHI (1797-1861)
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An uchiwa-e ( fan print ) showing a young girl leaning over the side of a boat and wetting a towel. “Cool” from a set of six prints: Imayo rokkasen, “Six Modern Choises for Summer”. Published 2/1853. Unidentified publisher.
Superb impression, colour and condition. Signed Ichiyusai Kuniyoshi ga.
Status: Sold
Ichiyusai KUNIYOSHI (1797-1861)
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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
Torii KIYOMITSU (1735-1785)
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The actor Nakayama Bunshichi. . Kiyomitsu was the final flowering of the Torii School and a pioneer of the polychrome print. Harunobu went on to fully exploit the technique using a variety of unusual pigments and overprinting to produce a yet larger palette unsurpassed in the following years. This print has all the hallmarks of a “proof” impression with best quality hosho and extra paper left and top. Printed in beni, yellow ochre, orange ( yellow over beni ), puce, light blue-grey and a grey ground. Published c 1768.
Perfect preservation as the day it was printed. Superb impression, colour and condition. Immaculate keying of the blocks. Signed Torii Kiyomitsu ga.
Status: Sold