Hiroshige: Cherry blossoms in Yoshiwara
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Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858)

On a clear spring night in front of the gate to the central street of the Yoshiwara entertainment district: a lively coming and going of visitors and high-ranking courtesans (oiran) with their entourages, between blooming cherry trees.

Title: Yoshiwara Nakanochô sakura no zu (Cherry blossom in the main street of the Yoshiwara)

Series: Tôto meisho (Famous views of the eastern capital, i.e. Edo)

Publisher: Yamamoto-ya Kyûbei (Heikichi, Eikyûdô), Edo

Censor: Kiwame

Date: c. 1843-47

Size: Horizontal Ôban, 22 x 34,5 cm (image size)

Very good impression and colours. Unbacked. A small paper damage in upper left margin, lower right corner bevelled. In top and bottom margins one resp. two short tears, ink stains and soiling in top. Verso in top corners two very small paper remnants from previous attachment. Overall very good condition.
A rare print, with an extreme central perspective view. From a seldom encountered series of 13 views of Edo, the title cartouche being in the shape of a weathered wooden board (cf. Tamba 1965, No. 37). The series at Marks, publishers No. P3083.
Cf. Honolulu Museum of Art, Michener Coll., No. 24428; MFA Boston, Denman Waldo Ross Coll., No. 17,3207.2; British Museum, 1915,0823,0.394 (falsely attributed to Hasegawa Sadanobu since being in an album with views by him). This print is always unsigned.

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