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NEWSoftcover volume 250 x 190 mm, French flapped pink wrapper with glassine dust cover, lettering to front, pp.: [2 blanks] [2 h.t./blank] [2] 3-87 [88] [2 blanks] [2colophon/blank] [2 blanks], i.e. 49 leaves total plus 12 etchings incl. frontispiece; laid paper; all margins untrimmed. Limitation: The print run of 150 copies; this copy bears number 21 (one of 25 copies printed on ‘Chinese’ paper). Title-page: GAMIANI | OU | DEUX NUITS D'EXCÈS | ILLUSTRÉ DE DOUZE EAUX-FORTES | PAR UNE FEMME | BRUXELLES | AU DÉPENS D'UN AMATEUR || Similar lettering to the front wrapper. Colophon: JUSTIFICATION | Il a été tiré de cet ouvrage : 2 exemplaires sur japon impérial, numérotés 1 et 2; 25 exemplaires sur chine, numérotés de 3 à 27; 28 exemplaires sur papier de Montval, numérotés de 28 à 55; 95 exemplaires sur papier de Vidalon, numérotés de 56 à 150. Exemplaire N° 21. Catalogue raisonné: Dutel III № 1641, pp. 185/6. Contributors: Alfred de Musset (French, 1810 – 1857) – author. May [Marie-Jeanne] den Engelsen (Dutch-French, 1900 – 1968) – artist Gaston Coquette, possibly Hubert Gaston Coquette (French, 1878 – 1969) ”Gaston Coquette, a printer who worked at 69, rue de la Glacière in the 13th arrondissement [in Paris]” – printer/publisher. Seller’s description: Un volume in-4 tellière (245 x 195 mm) de 88 pp., 2 ff, couverture rempliée en papier rose imprimée en noir. Illustré de 12 eaux-fortes de May den Engelsen. Tirage limité à 150 ex. L'un des 25 ex. (n° 21) sur chine. La gravure a certainement été réalisée à bord de la péniche La Marie-Jeanne, avec la complicité du compagnon de l'artiste, Frans de Geetere (Belgian, 1895 – 1968). Si quelques éléments biographiques de Frans sont faciles d'accès, les dates de naissance et de décès de May demeurent inconnues. L'impression typographique sort des presses de Gaston Coquette, imprimeur rue de la Glacière qui sévissait toujours dans les années cinquante pour le compte de Jean-Jacques Pauvert (French, 1926 – 2014). -
Hardcover volume 220 x 143 mm, bound in dark blue cloth with gilt square monogram to front and gilt lettering to spine, aubergine endpapers, top edge gilt; pagination: [2] limitation leaf bound in, [4] 1-192, 1-48 (total 246 pages), plus 12 loose colour plates 133 x 102 mm tipped-in to the pocket in the rear pastedown. Limited edition of 250 copies, of which this is № 244. Title-page: CATALOGUE | DU | CABINET SECRET DU PRINCE G*** | — | COLLECTION DE LIVRES | ET | OBJETS CURIEUX ET RARES | CONCERNANT | L'AMOUR, LES FEMMES | ET LE MARIAGE | AVEC LES PRIX DE VENTE | (in rules) PREMIÈRE PARTIE | BRUXELLES | M DCCC LXXXVII || Contra-title: CATALOGUE | OF THE | SECRET CABINET OF PRINCE G*** | [GALITZIN] | — | COLLECTION OF BOOKS | AND | CURIOUS AND RARE OBJECTS | CONCERNING | LOVE, WOMEN | AND MARRIAGE | INCLUDING THE SALE PRICE | — | WITH AN INTRODUCTION | TO THIS EDITION BY | W. N. SCHORS | LONDON | CHARLES SKILTON | MDCCCCLXXV || Limitation: EDITION LIMITED TO | 250 COPIES | of which this is | No. 244 | The Coloured Illustrations with this reprint | are reproductions of twelve of the lithographs | by Devéria listed as No. 115 on page 30 of the | Supplement || Imprint: Introduction copyright by W. N. Schors, 1975 | Limited Edition of 250 copies | made and printed by Lewis Reprints Ltd | Tonbridge, Kent | and published by | CHARLES SKILTON LTD | 90 The Broadway, London SW19 || Contributors: Gustave Lehec (French, 1841 – 1922) Charles Skilton (British, c.1922 – 1990) -
NEWSoftcover volume 248 x 200 mm, French flapped wrappers in glassine jacket, with a vignette and dark blue lettering to front, printed on very thick Arches paper, all margins untrimmed, unbound: 6 quires folded in 4to; ms text and images produced in dry point, frontispiece vignette hand-coloured; collation: 2 blank, 1 tp, 1 editor's note, 24 text, 1 blank, 1 colophon, i.e. 30 leaves total, those within the wrapper not counted; paginated with Roman numbers I to XLVI. Limited edition of 300 copies; this is copy № 28 of 285 printed on Arches paper. Title-page (blue and black): LE MARIAGE | DE | SUZON | Journal Secret | {vignette} | Aux dépens | des Amis de Cupidon || Colophon: Il a été tiré de cet ouvrage : | 5 exemplaires sur Japon super-nacré, conte- | nant chacun deux dessins originaux, | numérotés de 1 à 5; | 10 exemplaires sur Japon impérial, contenant | chacun un dessin original, numérotés de 6 à 15; | 285 exemplaires sur vélin d'Arches, numérotés | de 16 à 300. | Exemplaire N° 28 || Catalogue raisonné: Dutel III № 1927, p. 253; Honesterotica. For published in 1935 Suzon en vacances: Journal secret d’une jeune fille, see LIB-3409.2025 (Dutel III № 2473).For the pirated reprint of the same published in the late 1940s, see LIB-2935.2022 (Dutel III № 2578).
LIB-3409.2025
Both Suzon en vacances and Le Mariage de Suzon are attributed to Léon Courbouleix (French, 1887 – 1972). Seller's note: Le Mariage de Suzon. In-4, 25 x 20 cm de 30 ff. n. ch. dont 2 ff. n. ch., 1 p. de titre imprimée en bleu et noir avec vignette imprimée en noir, 1 p. d'avertissement des éditeurs, 1 frontispice en couleur, 46 pages entièrement gravées à la pointe sèche (texte et illustration), 1 f. de justification du tirage. Les illustrations courent autour du texte tout au long des feuillets. Couverture rempliée, impression en bleu, illustrée d'un portrait en pied de la mariée, gravé en couleur. Tirage à 300 ex. Édition originale en premier tirage de ces deux ouvrages réunissant 2 frontispice pointes sèches en couleur et 92 pointes sèches. Dutel voit un étui pour Suzon en vacances et pas d'étui pour Le Mariage de Suzon. Nos deux volumes sont sans étui. Pour préfacer Suzon en vacances, Léon Courbouleix joint l'humour au libertinage: « Nous demandons au lecteur qui va ouvrir ce livre un peu d'indulgence. Ce journal a été écrit par une jeune fille de seize ans, il y a bien longtemps. Nous le publions in-extenso, lui conservant ainsi toute sa saveur primesautière. S'il pèche par le style et la forme littéraire, il n'en reste pas moins un document humain qui répond parfaitement à la question souvent posée et jamais résolue: « À quoi rêvent les jeunes filles? » C'est signé : « Les Éditeurs ». Bibliographie : Pia 1384 et 884, Dutel 2473 et 1927.
LIB-2935.2022
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NEWSoftcover volume 250 x 200 mm, French flapped wrappers in glassine jacket, with a vignette and dark blue lettering to front, printed on watermarked Arches paper, all margins untrimmed, unbound, unpaginated, 6 quires folded in 4to; ms text and images produced in dry point, frontispiece vignette hand-coloured; collation: 1 blank, 1 tp, 1 editor's note, 24 text, 1 colophon, i.e. 28 leaves, leaves within the wrapper not counted. Limited edition of 300 copies; this is copy № 126 of 285 printed on Arches paper. Title-page (blue and black): SUZON | EN | VACANCES | Journal Secret | d'une Jeune Fille | {vignette} | Aux dépens | des Amis de Cupidon || Colophon: Il a été tiré de cet ouvrage : | 5 exemplaires sur Japon super-nacré, conte- | nant chacun deux dessins originaux, | numérotés de 1 à 5; | 10 exemplaires sur Japon impérial, contenant | chacun un dessin original, numérotés de 6 à 15; | 285 exemplaires sur vélin d'Arches, numérotés | de 16 à 300. | Exemplaire N° 126 || Catalogue raisonné: Dutel III № 2473, p. 397; Honesterotica. For the pirated reprint, published in the late 1940s, see LIB-2935.2022 (Dutel III № 2578).For published in the late 1930s (1937?) Le mariage de Suzon: Journal secret, see LIB-3410.2025 (Dutel III № 1927).LIB-2935.2022 (Dutel III № 2578).
Both Suzon en vacances and Le Mariage de Suzon are attributed to Léon Courbouleix (French, 1887 – 1972). Seller's note: Suzon en vacances. In-4 écu, 25 x 20 cm de 30 ff. n. ch. dont le frontispice en couleur, 1 titre imprimée en bleu et noir avec vignette imprimée en noir, 1 p. d'avertissement des éditeurs, 46 pages entièrement gravées à la pointe sèche (texte et illustration), 1 p. de justification du tirage. Le texte court autour des illustrations tout au long des feuillets (piqûres). Couverture rempliée, impression en bleu, illustrée d'un portrait gravé en couleur. Tirage à 300 ex.
LIB-3410.2025 (Dutel III № 1927).
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NEWHardcover volume 175 x 131 mm bound in red half-morocco over marbled boards, spine with faux raised bands with gilt lettering, marbled endpapers, 3 laid paper fly leaves in the front and 3 in the rear, publisher’s original wrappers preserved, pp.: [6] 1-302 [2], collated 18mo: π3 1-1518 178, i.e. 155 leaves incl. front and back wrappers and 10 photogravures after Martin Van Maële (pp. 21, 55, 81, 97, 133, 153, 197,226, 259 et 295), within collation; front wrapper with van Maële's vignette, signed. Title-page (red and black): AIMÉ VAN ROD | Nos Belles | Flagellantes | Orné de 10 Dessins | hors texte de Martin VAN MAËLE | PARIS | ÉDITION PARISIENNE | (sticker) 9, Rue du Faubourg-Montmartre, 9 | 1907 || Colophon: SAINT-AMAND (CHER). — IMPRIMERIE BUSSIÈRE. Catalogue raisonné: S. A. Perry (2015) № 44, p. 43; Luc Binet № 61, pp. 212-218; ibid. № 132, p. 850. Contributors: Van Rod, Aimé (fr. rod-lover) – anonymous writers collective on whipping. Maurice François Alfred Martin van Maële [Martin van Maële] (French, 1863 – 1926) – artist. Dardaillon, Jules (French, 1859-19..) and Mme Roberts – publishers. Carrington, Charles (British, 1867 – 1921) – publisher. -
NEWHardcover volume 257 x 180 mm housed in marbled slipcase 265 x 180 mm with opening outlined in brown morocco, binding by René Kieffer in brown morocco, mosaic vignette in gilt and colours stamped to front and gilt vignette to rear board, spine with raised bands and gilt lettering, gilt corners and fillets, gilt bookbinder signature inside, bookbinder’s ticket to flyleaf verso, marbled endpapers, top edge gilt; printed on thick wove paper produced by Perrigot-Masure; nine coloured etchings and 45 woodcuts after C. Picart le Doux; original woodcut pictorial wrappers preserved, [1-6] 7-67 [4] plus nine plates; enriched with a suite of uncoloured etchings in two states and a suite of woodcuts in ochre. Limitation: The edition is limited to 100 copies, printed on October 20, 1909, at Imprimerie de l'Art Décoratif. This copy was printed for Mademoiselle E. Kieffer. Title-page (brown and black): ALBERT SAMAIN | HYALIS | Le petit Faune aux yeux bleus | eaux fortes et bois gravés originaux | de C•PICART•LE•DOUX | {woodcut vignette} | COLLECTION•ECLECTIQUE | A•BLAIZOT | EDITEUR | 26•Rue le Peletier / RENÉ KIEFFER | RELIEUR D’ART | 47•R.St André des Arts / PARIS • 1909 || Imprint: TIRAGE UNIQUE | de cette édition de grand luxe | à 100 Exemplaires | contenant : | Trois états des eaux-fortes, dont l'eau-forte pure | et un tirage à part des bois | Exemplaire imprimé spécialement pour : | Mademoiselle E. KIEFFER | {woodcut vignette} || COLLABORATEURS | C. PICART LE Doux, Peintre-Graveur | ~ | E. DURAND, Directeur de l'Imprimerie Typographique | MAGORIEC, Compositeur | AYRAULT, Pressier | ~ | Eaux-fortes tirées par A. ROUTY | ~ | CARACTÈRES DE GIRALDON | fondus par la maison DEBERNY | ~ | Papiers à la forme de PERRIGOT-MASURE | ~ || Colophon: {woodcut vignette} | ACHEVÉ D'IMPRIMER | le 20 Octobre 1909 | par l'Imprimerie de l'Art Décoratif || Contributors: Albert Samain (French, 1858 – 1900) – author. Charles Alexandre Picart Le Doux (French, 1881 – 1959) – artist. René Kieffer (French, 1876 – 1963) – bookbinder. Auguste Blaizot (French, 1908 – 1941) – publisher. -
Hardcover volume 230 x 135 mm, bound in brown buckram with gilt lettering to spine, in craft paper dust jacket with lettering and vignette, and blurb on flaps; collated 8vo: A-O8, i.e. 112 sheets, pp: [1-8] 9-221 [222] [2 blank], plus frontispiece in colour and four leaves of b/w plates after p. 96; First UK edition. Title-page (in cresting frame): THE MEMOIRS | OF AN | EROTIC | BOOKSELLER | by | ARMAND COPPENS | assisted by his | tired wife | CLEMENTINE | and her | distant lover | VOLUME ONE | ⚜ | LONDON: LUXOR PRESS || Imprint: © Armand Coppens, 1969 | Made and printed in | Great Britain by | C. Tinling and Co Ltd | Liverpool, London and Prescot | and | published by | LUXOR PRESS LTD | 50 Alexandra Road | London s w 19 […] || Contributors: Schors, Willem Nicolas [Coppens, Armand] (Dutch, 1925 – 2014) Luxor Press (London) — owner Charles Skilton (British, c.1922 – 1990) -
NEWArtist: Unknown No censor seal, no date seal. Publisher: Ibaya Senzaburō [伊場屋仙三郎] (Japanese, fl. c. 1815 – 1869); seal: san (三) in a circle Media: Aiban yoko-e uchiwa-e (団扇絵), color woodblock print, 228 x 265 mm. The fan print (uchiwa-e, 団扇絵) depicts the Eitai Bridge (永代橋, Eitai-bashi), one of Edo’s famous landmarks, spanning the Sumida River (隅田川, Sumida-gawa). The wooden arched structure is crowded with pedestrians. Below, the river is bustling with boats, including pleasure barges (yakata-bune, 屋形船) and transport vessels. In the background, Mount Fuji (富士山, Fujisan) rises above the horizon, while the soft gradient of the sky suggests early morning or evening light. -
NEWMaterial: Coco de Mer (Lodoicea maldivica) shell with metal chain
Origin: Likely Persia (Iran) or the Indian subcontinent
Date: 19th century
Dimensions: 205 × 135 × 100 mm
Weight: 324 gThis begging bowl (kashkul) is crafted from the shell of a Coco de Mer (Lodoicea maldivica) seed, a rare and symbolic material historically associated with mysticism and exotic origins. The natural curvature of the shell has been hollowed and smoothed for functional use, preserving its organic ridged texture on the exterior. Metal rings are affixed at both ends, supporting a linked chain handle, allowing the bowl to be carried or hung.
The kashkul was traditionally used by Sufi dervishes as a symbol of humility and asceticism, carried as a vessel for alms and spiritual offerings. The use of Coco de Mer for such objects was particularly esteemed due to its rarity, as the seed was believed to possess mystical properties and was highly valued in Indian Ocean trade networks.
- Exotic and Sacred Material—Coco de Mer was once considered a fruit from an underwater tree, enhancing its mystical reputation.
- Mystical Associations – In Sufi thought the empty bowl symbolizes detachment from material life and openness to divine sustenance.
- Trade and Status – Such bowls were often prized possessions of high-ranking Sufi masters, symbolizing spiritual authority and renunciation of worldly wealth.
While many kashkuls were crafted from metal (bronze, brass, or silver) and intricately decorated with Persian calligraphy and floral motifs, those made from Coco de Mer were rarer and more valued. The organic curves of the seed naturally complemented the aesthetic and spiritual function of the vessel, making it a highly desirable object.
This piece represents a rare intersection of natural rarity, spiritual tradition, and craftsmanship, making it a notable example of historical Sufi material culture.
See Coco de Mer Seed (Lodoicea maldivica) [VO-0474.2024] in this collection.
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NEWMaterial: Coco de Mer (Lodoicea maldivica) shell with engraved decoration, bronze chain, metal fittings, and inlaid elements
Origin: Likely Persia (Iran)
Date: 19th century
Dimensions: 270 × 150 × 130 mm
Weight: 608 gThis begging bowl (kashkul) is carved from the shell of a Coco de Mer (Lodoicea maldivica) seed, a material historically associated with mysticism and spiritual significance in Persian Sufi traditions. The exterior is intricately engraved with floral motifs, architectural elements, and figural depictions, while a bronze chain is attached via metal loops for carrying or suspension. The bowl retains its natural curvature with a scalloped rim and detailed craftsmanship.
- Floral and Botanical Motifs: Engraved sunflowers, vines, and foliage patterns symbolizing divine wisdom and enlightenment.
- Figural Depiction: One side features a standing figure in military attire, possibly a Persian warrior, historical figure, or Sufi dervish.
- Architectural Details: Arches and ornamental borders suggest Persian or Mughal artistic influences.
- Inlaid Accents: Small inlays of turquoise or glass enhance the visual appeal and craftsmanship.
The kashkul was traditionally used by Sufi dervishes as a symbol of renunciation and humility, carried to receive alms and spiritual offerings. The use of Coco de Mer, a rare and exotic material, elevated the object's status, making it a prized possession among high-ranking Sufi mystics.
Unlike plain metal kashkuls, which often bore inscriptions of Persian poetry or Quranic verses, this example features extensive figural and architectural designs, suggesting it may have been a presentation or ceremonial piece rather than a simple, functional object. The presence of a bronze chain reinforces its portability and use in daily Sufi practices.
This piece is a rare blend of natural form and intricate artistic craftsmanship, making it a significant example of Persian Sufi material culture.
See Coco de Mer Seed (Lodoicea maldivica) [VO-0474.2024] in this collection.
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NEWIron tsuba of almost round form decorated with five roundels – circular emblems of flowers and/or family crests (mon) made of cast brass, pierced and chiselled in kebori, and with flat brass inlay (hira-zōgan) of vines or seaweed all over the plate. Large hitsu-ana of ‘undulating cloud form’ outlined with brass. Nakago-ana of trapezoidal form, fitted with copper sekigane. Signed on both sides of seppa-dai on both sides of the plate: Made by Yoshirō, resident of Okayama in Bizen [備前岡山住・与四郎作之] (Bizen Okayama-jū – Yoshirō kore o tsukuru)According to Torigoye’s book “Tsuba Geijitsu Kō”, written in around 1962: “It is clear that there were two generations who used the name Bizen Yoshirō. The first generation worked about Kambun era (1661-1672). The second generation worked about the Genroku era (1688-1703). […] In the work of the first Bizen Yoshirō we see large hitsu-ana of undulating cloud forms. This would seem the sole characteristic separating his work from the other Bizen artists. In rare cases small nanako dots, or gold and silver ten-zōgan are to be found. Sometime after the middle of the Edo age the work of the Bizen Yoshirō school disappears, and there is no later work in the style of this school. The signatures found on tsuba are the following: Yoshirō saku, or Yoshirō kore (wo) tsukuru, this is the signature of the first Bizen Yoshirō. Other signatures are Umon Nagatsugu, or Koike Umon Nagatsugu, with Okayama jū nin on the back. Also Bizen Yoshirō Nagatsugu saku. Umon Nagatsugu and Koike Nagatsugu are the same person”.
Bizen Province [備前国] is located in southeastern Okayama Prefecture [岡山県]. Kanbun era [寛文] (April 1661 – September 1673). Dimensions: 68.5 x 68.0 mm; Thickness at seppa-dai 3.4 mm -
NEWHardcover volume 211 x 141 mm, bound in quarter black buckram over green buckram boards, gilt lettering to spine, pictorial dust jacket with white lettering, ink inscriptions and paper clipping pasted to free endpaper, laid-in two newspaper clippings – January 26, 1970 and late 1950s; pp.: [1-10] [2] 3-342, plus 3 photo plates, extraneous to collation. 1st edition, 2nd printing, October 1953. Title-page: CARESSE CROSBY | THE | PASSIONATE | YEARS | {publisher’s device} | THE DIAL PRESS […] 1953 • NEW YORK || Imprint: Copyright, 1953, by Caresse Crosby | Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 52-10093 | FIRST PRINTING, MARCH 1953 | SECOND PRINTING, OCTOBER 1953 | DESIGNED BY WILLIAM R. MEINHARDT | PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA BY | THE HADDON CRAFTSMEN, SCRANTON, PA. Contributors: Caresse Crosby [Mary Phelps Jacob] (American, 1892 – 1970) – author. Haddon Craftsmen (Scranton, PA) – printer. The Dial Press – publisher (1923-85)honesterotica.com: Here is what Caresse wrote about May and Frans during their time together in interwar Paris, from the copy of her autobiography which she inscribed to them with the telling inscription ‘our most passionate years with you!’: ‘Frans de Geetere came to France dragging his barge behind him, and having manoeuvered the dikes of Holland and the frontiers of Belgium and the northern waterways of France, he strode into Paris one summer evening towing his dwelling with May den Engelsen, his timid blonde bride atop of it – he on the footpath, a stout rope about his lean and muscular middle. At twenty-one with the sunburned torso, a crest of wild black curls, and snapping black eyes, Frans was a storybook character, and May, his Netherlands wife, was as frail and honey-golden as some princesse lointaine. There were two tortoiseshell kittens aboard and a hold stuffed with paintings of flowers and nudes in profusion, for Frans had come to Paris for Art’s sweet sake, not to study because he was already confident and bold, but to compete in the marketplace with the greatest artists of the day.’
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NEWSoftcover auction catalogue, 267 x 209 mm, pictorial wrappers with red lettering to cover, black and white lettering to spine; pp. [2] 3-179 [1]; auction held at Christie’s New York on Thursday, 24 April 1997, featuring lots 60-340, with properties from Japan Society, Inc., N.Y., Mary Griggs Burke, a lady, a European private collection, and various sources; includes descriptions and images of Japanese paintings, prints, ceramics, lacquer, and other works of art.Title-page: JAPANESE ART | Properties from | JAPAN SOCIETY, INC., N.Y. | MARY GRIGGS BURKE | A LADY | A EUROPEAN PRIVATE COLLECTION | AND FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | Auction | Thursday, 24 April 1997 at 11.00 a.m. approx. (Lots 60-194) | and at 2.00 p.m. (Lots 195-340) | 502 Park Avenue at 59th Street | New York, New York 10022 | Sale Code | In sending written bids or making inquiries, this sale should be referred to as #8670 | Viewing | […] |Christie's | 502 Park Avenue at 59th Street | New York, New York 10022 | Telephone: (212) 546 1000 | Internet: | http://www.christies.com | (40) Registered at the above address No. 1128160 | {CHRISTIE'S device} ||
Sixteen Fan Prints in this catalogue. 248. KUNIYOSHI: aiban uchiwa-e (22.5 × 29.4 cm.); entitled Hana no nishiki "Flower brocade", a half-length portrait of a beauty on a peony-decorated ground", signed Kuniyoshi ga and dated 4/1855—very good impression and color, some minute worm holes, binding holes on right. — Estimate: $2,500–3,500. 280. HIROSHIGE: aiban yoko-e, uchiwa-e (21.8 x 28.4 cm.); Tokaido, zuso Hakone sanchō kosui no zu “View of the lake in mountains at Hakone on the Tokaido between Izu and Sagami province”, and subtitled Bōsetsu “Evening snow”, from the series Omote ura chiji hakkei “Eight views of stations of the Tokaido and Kiso-kaidō”, signed Hiroshige ga—very good impression and color, faint vertical center fold restored on reverse, slightly soiled near corners. PROVENANCE: Theodor Scheiwe, sold in these Rooms, March 21, 1989, lot 264. PUBLISHED: Rose Hempel, Ausstellung Japanische Holzschnitte (Munster, 1959), no. 244, p. 145; Rose Hempel, Kunst Aus Japan (Essen: Villa Hügel, 1972), no. 496, p. 273; For another impression see Suzuki Juzo, Hiroshige (Tokyo: Nihon keizai shimbun, 1970), pl. 46. — Estimate: $10,000-15,000. 281. HIROSHIGE: aiban uchiwa-e (22.2 x 28.1 cm.); Yotsuya Shinjuku tsutsumi no hana “Cherry blossoms on the bank at Shinjuku, Yotsuya”, three women on a terrace overlooking cherry blossoms on the opposite bank in the night, signed Hiroshige ga, dated 1856, second month, and published by Ibaya Senzaburo—very good impression, color and condition. —Estimate: $8,000-10,000. 282. HIROSHIGE: aiban uchiwa-e (21.9 × 29.2 cm.); Sugita no baien "Plum garden at Sugita", signed Hiroshige ga and published by Sanoya Kihei—very good impression and color, binding holes on right restored, a minute repair on lower left. — Estimate: $8,000-10,000. 283. HIROSHIGE: aiban uchiwa-e (22.2 × 29.7 cm.); Buya Tsukuda no isaribune "Fishing boats at Tsukudajima in Musashi province", from the series Shokoku meisho "Famous places in the various provinces", signed Hiroshige ga over the publisher’s seal, published by Dansendō [Ibaya Senzaburō]—very good impression and color, faint center fold reinforced on the reverse, margins slightly soiled. PROVENANCE: Alexis Rouart, sold American Art Association, New York, February 6, 1922, lot 210; This impression was sold in these Rooms, December 4, 1984, lot 212. — Estimate: $10,000-15,000. 284. HIROSHIGE: aiban uchiwa-e (22.6 × 29 cm.); a tree and branches of yaezakura (double cherry blossoms) on a yellow background, signed Hiroshige hitsu and published by Dansendō [Ibaya Senzaburō]—very good impression and color, slightly stained, restoration on right. EXHIBITED: Pratt Graphics Center, New York, "Hiroshige: An exhibition of selected prints and illustrated books" (February 26—March 19, 1983); PUBLISHED: Sebastian Izzard, Hiroshige: An exhibition of selected prints and illustrated books (New York: The Ukiyo-e Society of America, 1983), no. 77. — Estimate: $6,000-8,000 285. HIROSHIGE: aiban uchiwa-e (23.2 × 29.4 cm.); Rokugo no watashi "The ferry at Rokugō", from the series Meisho fūkei "Famous landscapes", signed Hiroshige ga—very good impression and color, a worm hole in lower left margin, pasted on paper on upper corners; EXHIBITED: Pratt Graphics Center, New York, "Hiroshige: An exhibition of selected prints and illustrated books" (February 29—March 19, 1983); PUBLISHED: Sebastian Izzard, Hiroshige: An exhibition of selected prints and illustrated books (New York: The Ukiyo-e Society of America, 1983), no. 60. — Estimate: $6,000-8,000. 286. HIROSHIGE: aiban uchiwa-e (21.9 × 29 cm.); Shinshu, Suwako yukihare "Clear weather after snow at Lake Suwa in Shinano province", from the series Fuji sanjūrokkei no uchi "The thirty-six views of Mount Fuji", signed Hiroshige ga, dated 1842, and published by Ibaya Kyubei—very good impression and color, margins slightly soiled, vertical center fold restored.. EXHIBITED: Pratt Graphics Center, New York, "Hiroshige: An exhibition of selected prints and illustrated books" (February 29—March 19, 1983). PUBLISHED: Sebastian Izzard, Hiroshige: An exhibition of selected prints and illustrated books (New York: The Ukiyo-e Society of America, 1983), no. 51. — Estimate: $5,000-7,000. 287. HIROSHIGE: aiban uchiwa-e (22.4 × 28.7 cm.); Kodai buto "Classical dance", signed Ryūsai and published by Maruya Seijiro—good impression and color, slightly foxed, some minor worm holes, slightly creased, mat stain along edges, pasted on paper on upper corners, minor tear on upper edge. — Estimate: $3,000-4,000. 288. HIROSHIGE: chūban uchiwa-e (24.6 × 18.6 cm.); Kai Kawaguchi kosui no zu "View of the lake at Kawaguchi in Kai province", signed Hiroshige hitsu—good impression and color, slightly soiled, faint vertical center fold, binding holes on right restored. — Estimate: $3,000-4,000. 289. HIROSHIGE: aiban uchiwa-e (22.8 × 28.2 cm.); Karasaki no hitotsu matsu "Single pine tree at Karasaki", from the series Omi hakkei "Eight views of Lake Biwa", signed Hiroshige ga, dated 1852, seventh month, and published by Enshuya Matabei—very good impression and color, minute stains in lower right, pin holes on upper corners, vertical center fold. — Estimate: $5,000-7,000. 290. HIROSHIGE: aiban uchiwa-e (23.4 × 30 cm.); three stems of peonies on a blue background, signed Hiroshige ga, dated 1857, second month, and published by Marukyudo—very good impression and color, holes on right restored, some minor worming restored, otherwise good condition. EXHIBITED: Pratt Graphics Center, New York, "Hiroshige: An exhibition of selected prints and illustrated books" (February 26—March 19, 1983). PUBLISHED: Sebastian Izzard, Hiroshige: An exhibition of selected prints and illustrated books (New York: The Ukiyo-e Society of America, 1983), no. 76. — Estimate: $10,000-15,000. 291. HIROSHIGE: aiban uchiwa-e (22 × 29.8 cm.); Kodai meiyo shiki no hana "Flowers of the four seasons with historical associations", subtitled Natsu, Mikawa Yatsuhashi no tojaku "Summer, Iris at Yatsuhashi in Mikawa province" and a rectangular cartouche with a portrait of the poet Ariwara no Narihira, signed Hiroshige ga and published by Surugaya—very good impression and color, margins slightly soiled, binding holes on left restored. EXHIBITED: Pratt Graphics Center, New York, "Hiroshige: An exhibition of selected prints and illustrated books" (February 26—March 19, 1983). PUBLISHED: Sebastian Izzard, Hiroshige: An exhibition of selected prints and illustrated books (New York: The Ukiyo-e Society of America, 1983), no. 52. — Estimate: $10,000-15,000. 292. HIROSHIGE: aiban uchiwa-e (22.1 × 26 cm.); a seated woman taking a sake cup from a boat-shaped porcelain bowl under a night river landscape with full-moon, signed Hiroshige ga, dated 1852, fourth month, and published by Ibaya Senzaburo—very good impression and color, slightly stained, a minute worm hole restored. EXHIBITED: Pratt Graphics Center, New York, "Hiroshige: An exhibition of selected prints and illustrated books" (February 29—March 19, 1983). PUBLISHED: Sebastian Izzard, Hiroshige: An exhibition of selected prints and illustrated books (New York: The Ukiyo-e Society of America, 1983), no. 69. — Estimate: $4,000-6,000. 312. HIROSHIGE II: aiban uchiwa-e (22.7 × 29.1 cm.); an aizuri-e “blue print”, Tsunohazu juniso otaki “Great waterfall of the twelve shrines at Tsunohazu”, signed Hiroshige ga, dated 1861—very good impression and color, corners slightly soiled, binding holes and minor worming on left restored. PROVENANCE: A. Maroni. — Estimate: $4,000-6,000. 313. HIROSHIGE II: aiban uchiwa-e (22.7 × 29.7 cm.); Owari, Atsuta kaigan “Atsuta Beach in Owari province”, from the series Shokoku meisho zue “Illustrations of famous places in the various provinces”, signed Hiroshige ga, seal dated [1862], and published by Iseya Soemon—very good impression and color, slightly browned along lower edge. — Estimate: $8,000-10,000. -
NEWSoftcover auction catalogue, 267 x 209 mm, pictorial wrappers with white lettering to cover, black and white lettering to spine; pp. [2] 3-171 [1]; auction held at Christie’s New York on Monday, 24 November 1997, featuring lots 1-297, with properties from Sir Valentine Abdy and various owners; includes descriptions and images of Japanese prints, paintings, and screens. Sheet with realized prices laid in. Title-page: JAPANESE PRINTS, PAINTINGS AND SCREENS | Properties of | SIR VALENTINE ABDY | VARIOUS OWNERS | Auction | Monday, 24 November 1997 at 10.00 a.m. (Lots 1-297) | 502 Park Avenue at 59th Street | New York, New York 10022 | Sale Code | In sending written bids or making inquiries, this sale should be referred to as #8782 | Viewing | […] | Christie’s | 502 Park Avenue at 59th Street | New York, New York 10022 | Telephone: (212) 546 1000 | Internet: http://www.christies.com | (30) Registered at the above address No. 1128160 | {CHRISTIE’S device} || Sixty Fan Prints in this catalogue. 39. TOYOKUNI: aiban uchiwa-e (22.9 × 26.6 cm.); Nakanocho yozakura no zu "Picture of cherry blossoms by night in Nakanocho", a courtesan and two kamuro strolling under cherry trees, signed Toyokuni ga, the censor’s seal corresponding to 1817, published by Ibaya Senzaburo—good impression, very good color, slightly soiled, upper right corner torn and restored. — Estimate: $2,000-3,000. 40. TOYOKUNI: aiban uchiwa-e (22.8 × 29.8 cm.); a bust portrait of a beauty holding the edge of a hand-towel flung over her shoulders, signed Toyokuni ga, censor’s seal corresponding to 1822—very good impression, good color, slightly soiled and rubbed along edges, a minor stain by the edge. — Estimate: $3,000-4,000. 79. KUNISADA: aiban uchiwa-e (23.2 × 30.1 cm.); a bust portrait of a woman dyeing her teeth black against a light-blue background sprinkled with mica, the facial lines printed in deep red, signed Kunisada ga—fine impression and color, slightly soiled along edges, binding holes on right restored, a few minute holes on right. — Estimate: $3,000-4,000. 80. KUNISADA: aiban uchiwa-e (23.8 × 30.1 cm.); a bust portrait of a beauty in a flower-patterned purple robe exposing the left shoulder against a light-blue background sprinkled with mica, the facial lines printed in deep red, signed Kunisada ga, square kiwame censor’s seal and published by Ibaya Senzaburo—fine impression and color, slightly soiled and stained along edges, a few minor stains on right. — Estimate: $3,000-4,000. 82. KUNISADA: aiban uchiwa-e (22.8 × 26.3 cm.); a woman in a kimono patterned with blue seals against a background of purple and black checks and green stenciled “deerskin” patterned with horses and grasses, signed Kunisada ga, the censor’s seal corresponding to 1826, published by Ibaya Senzaburo—fine impression and color, slight stain along right edge, binding holes on right, a minute worm hole in the lower margin. — Estimate: $3,000-4,000. 83. KUNISADA: aiban uchiwa-e (22.9 × 27.1 cm.); a woman wiping her neck before an iris-patterned background, signed Kunisada ga, censor’s seal corresponding to 1826, published by Ibaya Senzaburo—very good impression and color, corners slightly soiled, minor damage and binding holes on right edge, a minute worm hole on the lower margin. — Estimate: $2,500-3,500. 84. KUNISADA: aiban uchiwa-e (22.7 × 29.9 cm.); a woman holding a bamboo basket against a background of tie-dyed fabric patterned with hagi (bush clover), from the series Mutamagao “Six jewel faces”, the pattern on the background alluding to the Jewel River in Noji (Hagi no Tamagawa) in Ōmi province, suggested by the title, signed Kunisada ga—fine impression and color, binding holes on right. — Estimate: $3,000-4,000. 85. KUNISADA: aiban uchiwa-e (22.7 × 29.8 cm.); Prince Mitsugi against a background of tie-dyed fabric patterns holding a spray of yamabuki, from the series Mutamagao “Six jewel faces”, the flower alluding to the Jewel River in Ide (Yamabuki no Tamagawa) in Yamashiro province, signed Kunisada ga—fine impression and color, slightly stained along side edges, binding holes on right. — Estimate: $3,000-4,000. 86. KUNISADA: aiban uchiwa-e (22.8 × 30 cm.); a woman against a background of tie-dyed fabric patterns holding a sake cup and a paper toy figure of a monk, from the series Mutamagao “Six jewel faces”, the monk alluding to the Jewel River in Kōya (Koya no Tamagawa) in Kii province, signed Kunisada ga—fine impression and color, binding holes on both sides, slightly soiled along the lower edge. — Estimate: $3,000-4,000. 87. KUNISADA: aiban uchiwa-e (22.7 × 30 cm.); a woman washing clothes in a basin against a background of tie-dyed fabric patterns, from the series Mutamagao “Six jewel faces”, alluding to the Jewel River in Chōfu (Chōfu no Tamagawa) in Musashi province, signed Kunisada ga—fine impression and color, binding holes on both sides, a few minute worm holes near edges. — Estimate: $2,000-3,000. 88. KUNISADA: aiban uchiwa-e (22.7 × 30.2 cm.); a courtesan against a background of tie-dyed fabric patterns looking at a book illustration of a woman pounding cloth, from the series Mutamagao “Six jewel faces”, the book illustration alluding to the Jewel River in Mishima (Toi no Tamagawa) in Settsu province, signed Kunisada ga—fine impression and color, slightly soiled along left edge, binding holes on right, a few minor worm holes on left. — Estimate: $2,500-3,500. 89. KUNISADA: aiban uchiwa-e (22.7 × 29.8 cm.); a beauty against a background of tie-dyed fabric patterns holding a pipe looking at toy birds hanging from bamboo, from the series Mutamagao “Six jewel faces”, the bird decorations alluding to the Jewel River in Noda (Chidori no Tamagawa) in Rikuzen province, signed Kunisada ga—fine impression and color, binding holes on both sides, slightly stained along lower edge, a few minute worm holes. — Estimate: $2,500-3,500. 97. KUNISADA: aiban uchiwa-e (21.9 × 29.2 cm.); Fune kara agari “Disembarking from the boat”, signed Toyokuni ga and published by Ibaya Senzaburo—fine impression and color, binding holes and minor damage on right. — Estimate: $2,500-3,500. 98. KUNISADA: aiban uchiwa-e (22.8 × 29.34 cm.); Shinkei atsurae zome “Modern form of custom-dyeing”, illustrating a beauty before a background of textile patterns fishing clams from a bowl with a stem of flower, signed Kocho Toyokuni ga and published by Ibaya Senzaburo—fine impression, color, and condition. — Estimate: $3,000-4,000. 103. KUNISADA AND HIROSHIGE: aiban uchiwa-e (22.1 × 29.5 cm. ea. approx.); a complete set of seven prints from the series Sohitsu nanato meguri “Twin-brush journey to the seven hot springs [of Hakone]”, comprising Kiga, Tonosawa, Yumoto, Miyanoshtia, Dogashima, Ashinoyu and Sokokura, each of a beauty or a male figure before a landscape of a separate hot spring, signed Toyokuni ga and Hiroshige hitsu and published by Ibaya Senzaburo, censor’s seal corresponding to 1854, second month—fine impressions and color, slightly soiled along bottom edges, some with fold line and minute worm hole along the left edge with restoration on reverse. This landscape series appears to be unrecorded. — Estimate: $15,000-20,000. 110. KUNIYOSHI: aiban uchiwa-e (22 × 29.9 cm.); Suika no suisho “Watermelon, water”, a beauty extracting seeds from a slice of watermelon, from the series Gogyo no uchi “The five natural elements”, signed Ichiyusai Kuniyoshi ga and published by Surugaya Sakujiro—very good impression and color, binding holes on right, slightly soiled and stained along edges, some minute worm holes, upper left corner torn. — Estimate: $1,500-2,000. 111. KUNIYOSHI: aiban uchiwa-e (22 × 29.9 cm.); Chochin no kasho “Lantern, fire”, a beauty lighting a lantern, from the series Gogyo no uchi “The five natural elements”, signed Chooro Kuniyoshi ga and published by Surugaya Sakujiro—very good impression and color, slightly soiled and stained along edges, binding holes on left, minor worm holes on upper corners, upper right corner torn. — Estimate: $1,000-1,500. 112. KUNIYOSHI: aiban uchiwa-e (21.9 × 29.1 cm.); Zato no seiran “Fine weather for a blind man” from the series Otsu hakkei “Eight views of Otsu-e”, illustrated by a beauty and a dog, the small cartouche depicting a blind man attacked by a dog, signed Ichiyusai Kuniyoshi ga, published by Tsujya Yasubei—fine impression and color, binding holes partly torn on right, a minute worm hole on upper right margin. Two other images from the same set are illustrated in Narazaki Muneshige, Victoria and Albert Museum II, Ukiyo-e masterpieces in European collections (Tokyo: Kodansha, 1989), pls. 34 and 35. — Estimate: $2,000-3,000. 113. KUNIYOSHI: aiban uchiwa-e (22.8 × 29.4 cm.); a woman standing by a lantern and holding an umbrella under cherry petals falling against the night sky, from the series Ukiyo hakkai “Eight nocturnal trysts”, signed Ichiyusai Kuniyoshi ga and published by Ibaya Senzaburo—fine impression and color, paper slightly toned and stained, minor damage on left edge, a pin hole on upper left margin. — Estimate: $2,500-3,500. 115. KUNIYOSHI: aiban uchiwa-e (22.8 × 29.4 cm.); a woman putting her hand on a palanquin in the lantern-light, from the series Ukiyo hakkai “Eight nocturnal trysts”, signed Ichiyusai Kuniyoshi ga and published by Ibaya Senzaburo—fine impression and color, a minute hole in the upper right margin, otherwise very good condition. — Estimate: $3,000-4,000. 116. KUNIYOSHI: aiban uchiwa-e (22.8 × 29.6 cm.); a woman beside a bath tub, from the series Ukiyo hakkai “Eight nocturnal trysts”, signed Ichiyusai Kuniyoshi ga and published by Ibaya Senzaburo—very good impression and color, a minute hole in upper right margin, a minor tear in the lower margin on right edge, otherwise good condition. — Estimate: $2,000-3,000. 117. KUNIYOSHI: aiban uchiwa-e (22.8 × 29.5cm.); a woman in the evening on a boat enjoying green soybeans, from the series Ukiyo hakkei “Eight nocturnal trysts,” signed Ichiyusai Kuniyoshi ga and published by Ibaya Senzaburō—Fine impression and color, minute hole on upper right margin, a few minute ink smudges. Another image from the same set of the Niwaka festival in the Yoshiwara, is illustrated in Narazaki Muneshige, Ukiyo-e Masterpieces in European Collections (Tokyo: Kodansha, 1989), pl. 36, and in R. A. Crighton, The Floating World, Japanese Popular Prints 1700-1900 (London: Her Majesty’s Stationery Office, 1973), no. 11. — Estimate: $2,500–3,500. 118. KUNIYOSHI: aiban uchiwa-e (22.8 × 29.4cm.); an ochazuke (rice with tea) shop waitress carrying a tray and teapots, signed Chooro Kuniyoshi ga and published by Ibaya Senzaburō—very good impression and color, a worm hole on upper edge, otherwise very good condition. — Estimate: $3,000–4,000. 119. KUNIYOSHI: aiban uchiwa-e (22.8 × 29.6cm.); a beauty in a mirror with a sprinkled mica background arranging her hair, signed Chooro Kuniyoshi ga and published by Ibaya Senzaburō—fine impression and color, binding holes on left, two minute holes in the upper right margin. Other images from the same set, of a mother and baby, and a woman trimming her hairline, are illustrated in Suzuki Jūzō, Kuniyoshi (Tokyo: Heibonsha, 1992), pls. 280 and 281; and Suzuki Jūzō, Kunisada/Kuniyoshi/Eisen, Ukiyo-e Taikei, vol. 10, (Tokyo: Shueisha, 1974), pl. 44; A beauty applying powder is in Utagawa Kuniyoshi ten (Utagawa Kuniyoshi exhibition) (Tokyo: Riccar Art Museum, 1978), no. 172. — Estimate: $3,000–4,000. 120. KUNIYOSHI: aiban uchiwa-e (22.9 × 29.5cm.); a beauty smoking reflected in a mirror, signed Chooro Kuniyoshi ga and published by Ibaya Senzaburō—very good impression and color, a minor worm hole in the lower left margin. See lots 119 and 121 for other images in the set. — Estimate: $4,000–6,000. 121. KUNIYOSHI: aiban uchiwa-e (22.7 × 29.2cm.); a beauty reflected in a mirror with a sprinkled mica background frightening a cat with her reflection, signed Chooro Kuniyoshi ga and published by Ibaya Senzaburō—fine impression and color, very slight glue stain along top and left edge, minute pin holes on upper right margin. Another impression of this print was sold in these Rooms, June 27, 1985, lot 106. See lots 119 and 120 for other images in the set. — Estimate: $6,000–8,000. 122. KUNIYOSHI: aiban uchiwa-e (23.7 × 30.7cm. ea. approx.); two prints from the series Dogai kesho no tawamure “Brushes with make-up off the beaten path,” one titled Omori illustrating animated cosmetic utensils strolling on the seashore at Omori; and the other watching fireworks on a river bank, titled Hanabi “Fireworks”, signed Chooro Kuniyoshi giga and the other signed Ichiyusai Kuniyoshi giga, published by Kogaya Katsugorō—very good impression, slightly faded, trimmed and laid down, the first with a few minute worm holes on top. — Estimate: $2,000–3,000. 126. KUNIYOSHI: aiban uchiwa-e (22.4 × 28.5cm.); illustrating figures on a blue ground forming spinning tops, signed Ichiyusai Kuniyoshi giga and published by Ibaya Senzaburō—very good impression and color, extensive wood grain, trimmed into the shape of the fan. — Estimate: $2,000–3,000. 127. KUNIYOSHI: aiban uchiwa-e (22.7 × 30.5cm.); Tōsei musume katagi “The spirit of modern young women”, a beauty repapering shōji while a child peeks through the frame, signed Chooro Kunisada ga and published by Ebiyu Rinnosuke—very good impression and color, slightly soiled and rubbed along bottom and left edge, minute worm holes in upper left margin, a minute stain in the center. — Estimate: $1,500–2,000. 128. KUNIYOSHI: aiban uchiwa-e (21.9 × 29cm.); a beauty standing by a stone lantern in a moonlit garden, subtitled Tsuki “Moon”, from the series Setsugekka no uchi “Snow, moon and flowers”, signed Ichiyusai Kuniyoshi ga—fine impression, very good color, damaged binding holes on left edge, some minor worm holes on edges. — Estimate: $2,000–3,000 129. KUNIYOSHI: aiban uchiwa-e (21.9 × 30.1cm.); Kaze “Wind”, a beauty on a boat enjoying the evening cool on the river, from the series Kachōgetsu “Flowers, birds, wind and moon”, signed Ichiyusai Kuniyoshi ga and published by Sanoya Kihei—very good impression and color, some minor stains, binding holes on left, a minute worm hole on upper right margin. — Estimate: $2,000–3,000. 130. KUNIYOSHI: aiban uchiwa-e (23.3 × 29.6cm.); a beauty dedicating a hand towel at a washing trough in a shrine, signed Ichiyusai Kuniyoshi ga—fine impression and color, slightly soiled and rubbed along edges, vertical center fold. — Estimate: $2,000–3,000 131. KUNIYOSHI: aiban uchiwa-e (22.6 × 29.3cm.); Sumidagawa “Sumida River”, a beauty under a cherry tree by the river bank putting her hand on a figure of Daruma, representing cherry blossoms, from the series Rokkakusen “Six flower rivers”, signed Ichiyusai Kuniyoshi ga and published by Iseya Sōemon—very good impression and color, slightly stained along edges, slightly soiled, binding holes on right, corners trimmed, a minute worm hole in the upper right margin. Other images from the same set: Ayasegawa, with hydrangea, in Suzuki Jūzō, Kuniyoshi (Tokyo: Heibonsha, 1992), pl. 288; and Okawa, with morning glory, in Tokyo kokuritsu hakubutsukan zuhan mokuroku, Ukiyo-e hanga hen (Illustrated catalogue of the Tokyo National Museum, Ukiyo-e prints), vol. 3, (Tokyo: Tokyo bijutsu, 1974), no. 3063. — Estimate: $1,000–1,500. 132. KUNIYOSHI: aiban uchiwa-e (21.9 × 28.9cm.); a beauty with a partially unrolled letter before a portrait of Sōjōbō, king of the tengu, in a decorated frame, entitled Imayō gakumen awase “Collection of modern framed pictures”, signed Ichiyusai Kuniyoshi ga—very good impression and color, very slightly stained on the bottom, binding holes on right, a minor worm hole in upper right margin. — Estimate: $3,000–4,000. 133. KUNIYOSHI: aiban uchiwa-e (21.9 × 28.9cm.); a beauty holding a fan and burning a taper beside a portrait of Soga no Jūrō in a decorated frame, entitled Imayō gakumen awase “Collection of modern framed pictures”, signed Ichiyusai Kuniyoshi ga—very good impression and color, binding holes on both sides, a minor worm hole in the upper right margin. Estimate: $2,500–3,500. 134. KUNIYOSHI: aiban uchiwa-e (22.9 × 29.3cm.); a woman biting the edge of her kerchief before a backdrop of a cart and clematis vines, entitled Mitate Konkai “Parody of Konkai” (the alternate title for the kyōgen farce, Tsuri gitsune), signed Ichiyusai Kuniyoshi ga and published by Ibaya Senzaburō—fine impression and color, two minute worm holes on upper left margin, otherwise very good condition. Another impression of this print was sold in these Rooms, November 2, 1996, lot 612. Estimate: $3,000–4,000. 135. KUNIYOSHI: aiban uchiwa-e (23.7 × 30.1cm.); Aishō kagami “Mirror of compatibility”, a beauty against a stylized wave-and-fish-patterned background reading a letter, below a round mirror cartouche enclosing a bust portrait of Shirai Gonpachi, signed Ichiyusai Kuniyoshi ga and published by Ibaya Kyūbei—fine impression and color, minor glue stain along upper edge, few minute worm holes in margins. Estimate: $3,000–4,000. 136. KUNIYOSHI: aiban uchiwa-e (22.8 × 29.4cm.); a beauty with an umbrella beside a playbill, entitled Imayō sugata “Modern style”, signed Chooro Kuniyoshi ga and published by Iseya Sōemon—fine impression and color, a minute worm hole on left edge, a minute hole on left, binding holes on right. Estimate: $2,000–3,000. 137. KUNIYOSHI: aiban uchiwa-e (22.7 × 29.2cm.); a woman on a bridge under an umbrella throwing paper votive slips printed with Buddhist figures into the wind, signed Chooro Kuniyoshi ga—very good impression, color and condition. Estimate: $2,000–3,000. 138. KUNIYOSHI: aiban uchiwa-e (22.5 × 28.9cm.); Koshikibu, from the series Reppuden “Legends of heroic women”, signed Ichiyusai Kuniyoshi ga and published by Ibaya Senzaburō—very good impression and color, binding holes on left, minute worm holes on top in the center. Estimate: $2,500–3,500. 139. KUNIYOSHI: aiban uchiwa-e (22.7 × 29.6cm.); Kitsune “Fox”, from the series Mitsuboshi no uchi, a beauty wiping her hands with a towel at a washing trough at an Inari shrine, signed Ichiyusai Kuniyoshi ga, censor’s seal corresponding to 1852, second month, published by Kojimaya Jūbei—very good impression and color, binding holes on left, very slight stain along edges and in lower margin, otherwise good condition. Estimate: $3,000–4,000. 140. KUNIYOSHI: aiban uchiwa-e (22.8 × 29.6cm.); Karudo “Hunter”, from the series Mitsuboshi no uchi, illustrating a beauty in a thick overcoat holding a piece of wood, signed Ichiyusai Kuniyoshi ga, censor’s seal corresponding to 1852, second month—very good impression and color, binding holes on right, otherwise good condition. Estimate: $3,000–4,000. 141. KUNIYOSHI: aiban uchiwa-e (22.8 × 29.5cm.); Atsurae zome konomi no irodori “Favorite colors for custom-dying” and subtitled Fuji nezumi “Mount Fuji gray”, signed Ichiyusai Kuniyoshi ga, censor’s seal corresponding to 1853, second month, published by Iseya Sōemon—fine impression and color, binding holes on left edge, otherwise good condition. Two other images from the same set, entitled Edo murasaki “Edo purple” and Ai miru cha “Tea-hut brown”, are illustrated in Uragami Toshirō, Ukiyo-e Utagawa-ha san kyōsho ten - Kunisada Kuniyoshi Hiroshige no sekai (Exhibition of three masters of the Utagawa school - the world of Kunisada, Kuniyoshi and Hiroshige -) (Hagi: TYS, 1991), pls. 74, 75, 109; and Tokyo kokuritsu hakubutsukan zuhan mokuroku, Ukiyo-e hanga hen (Illustrated catalogue of Tokyo National Museum, Ukiyo-e prints), vol. 3, (Tokyo: Tokyo bijutsu, 1974), no. 3053. Estimate: $2,500–3,500. 142. KUNIYOSHI: aiban uchiwa-e (22.8 × 29cm.); Natsu no yugure “A summer evening”, a beauty on a veranda with overhanging branches of a flowering tree, signed Ichiyusai Kuniyoshi ga, censor’s seal corresponding to 1853, second month, published by Enshūya Matabei—very good impression and color, slightly soiled along bottom edge, minor stains on the bottom. Two other images from the same set, featuring hydrangea and peony, were sold in these Rooms, April 26, 1995, lots 247A and 248. Estimate: $2,500–3,500. 143. KUNIYOSHI: aiban uchiwa-e (20.8 × 29.9cm.); a woman on a terrace reading a libretto, from the series Enkyoku zōui “Collection of charming music”, signed Ichiyusai Kuniyoshi ga, censor’s seal corresponding to 1853, second month—very good impression and color, binding holes on left, paper thinned in upper left margin, otherwise good condition. Estimate: $3,000–4,000. 144. KUNIYOSHI: aiban uchiwa-e (20.7 × 29.3cm.); a woman by a koto reading a libretto, from the series Enkyoku zoroi “Collection of charming music”, signed Ichiyusai Kuniyoshi ga, censor’s seal corresponding to 1853, second month—very good impression and color, very slight stain along side edges, otherwise good condition. Estimate: $2,500–3,500. 145. KUNIYOSHI: aiban uchiwa-e (22.8 × 29.4cm.); a woman on a terrace dancing with a fan, from the series Enkyoku zoroi “Collection of charming music”, signed Ichiyusai Kuniyoshi ga, censor’s seal corresponding to 1853, second month—very good impression, color and condition. Estimate: $2,500–3,500. 146. KUNIYOSHI: aiban uchiwa-e (22.8 × 29.4cm.); a woman reading a libretto and a cat dozing on her back, from the series Enkyoku zoroi “Collection of charming music”, signed Ichiyusai Kuniyoshi ga, censor’s seal corresponding to 1853, second month—very good impression and color, slightly stained along side edges, binding holes on left edge. Estimate: $3,000–4,000. 147. KUNIYOSHI: aiban uchiwa-e (22.7 × 29.5cm.); a beauty on a terrace overlooking the flowering plum and bushes of a garden in snow carrying snow on a tray, the snow image from the series Bijin gekka setsu “Beauties, moon, flower and snow”, signed Ichiyusai Kuniyoshi ga, censor’s seal corresponding to 1853, second month, published by Kojimaya Jūbei—very good impression and color, slightly stained along edges, minute tear on upper left margin, otherwise good condition. Estimate: $3,000–4,000. 148. KUNIYOSHI: aiban uchiwa-e (23.2 × 30cm.); Ryo “Cool”, a woman dipping her wrists in the river over the edge of a boat, from the series Imayō rokkasen “Six modern choices for summer”, signed Ichiyusai Kuniyoshi ga, the censor’s seal corresponding to 1853, second month, published by Izumiya—fine impression and color, left edge very slightly soiled, minute worm holes on lower margins, otherwise good condition. Estimate: $2,500–3,500. 149. KUNIYOSHI: aiban uchiwa-e (22.8 × 29.5cm.); Mizuhan “Water guard”, a woman standing by a tank of goldfish, from the series Imayō rokkasen “Six modern choices for summer”, signed Ichiyusai Kuniyoshi ga, the censor’s seal corresponding to 1853, second month, published by Izumiya—very good impression and color, very slight stain along side edges, otherwise good condition. Another image from the same set, titled Hirune “Afternoon nap”, is illustrated in Suzuki Jūzō, Kuniyoshi (Tokyo: Heibonsha, 1992), p. 289, and in Nakau Ei, Edo onna ukiyo-e meisaku ten (Exhibition of masterpieces of ukiyo-e of Edo women), (Osaka: D square, 1993), no. 66. Estimate: $2,000–3,000. 150. KUNIYOSHI: aiban uchiwa-e (22.8 × 29.7cm.); Doyo mairi “Midsummer visit”, a woman carrying a tea cask beside a patterned screen, from the series Imayō rokkasen “Six modern choices for summer”, signed Ichiyusai Kuniyoshi ga, the censor’s seal corresponding to 1853, second month, published by Izumiya—fine impression and color, binding holes on left edge, a minute worm hole in right margin, otherwise very good condition. Estimate: $3,000–4,000. 151. KUNIYOSHI: aiban uchiwa-e (22.7 × 29.5cm.); Sensōji no yuki “Snow at Sensōji temple”, from the series Mutsu geshiki “Six views”, signed Ichiyusai Kuniyoshi ga, censor’s seal corresponding to 1854, second month, published by Iseya Sōemon—fine impression and color, slight stain along both side edges, otherwise good condition. Estimate: $3,000–4,000. 152. KUNIYOSHI: aiban uchiwa-e (22.7 × 30.1cm.); two geisha in identical costume on a terrace dancing with folding fans, signed Kuniyoshi ga, censor’s seal corresponding to 1854, fourth month, published by Ibaya Senzaburō—fine impression and color, slightly stained along side edges, binding holes on right. Estimate: $1,500–2,000. 153. KUNIYOSHI: aiban uchiwa-e (17.3 × 27.6cm. ea. approx.); a group of four prints comprising: a woman at a goldfish seller’s booth, signed Chooro Kuniyoshi ga; Sakura no seirei ryakuden “Abbreviated biographies of charming women”, signed Chooro Kuniyoshi ga and published by Tsujiyama Yasubei; and Hajimetsuki and Shunju from the series Gosekku no uchi “The five seasonal festivals”, signed Ichiyusai Kuniyoshi ga and Chooro Kuniyoshi ga, published by Kojimaya Jūbei—very good impressions and color, binding holes, the third and fourth with minor worm holes on top, the third with some minor stains. Estimate: $1,500–2,000. 167. HIROSHIGE: aiban uchiwa-e (22.5 × 29cm. ea. approx.); three figures with their facial features composed by the Chinese characters for zen (good) and aku (evil), entitled Zen aku hana no ayatsuri “Puppets manipulated by good and evil”, signed Hiroshige gihitsu and published by Ibaya Senzaburō; and Kyo Arashiyama, Togetsukyō “Togetsu bridge, Arashiyama, Kyoto” from the series Santo fūkei “Views of three cities”, signed Hiroshige ga, censor’s seal corresponding to 1854, fifth month—good impressions, the first slightly faded and toned, the second slightly soiled, rib marks with slight glue stains, some minute worm holes restored, pasted on paper on edges, both trimmed into the shapes of the fans. Estimate: $4,000–6,000. 168. HIROSHIGE: aiban uchiwa-e (21.8 × 29.5cm.); illustrating a riverbank and boats, signed Oju (by order) Hiroshige sha—good impression and color, slightly soiled, vertical centerfold line restored, restoration on corners and at the bottom near the center. Estimate: $3,000–4,000. 182. KUNIMARU: aiban uchiwa-e (22.5 × 29.3cm.); a bust portrait of a beauty with a pipe looking at a mirror stand against a purple and black-check background holding a pipe, signed Kunimaru ga and published by Ibaya Senzaburō—good impression, very good color, slightly soiled, rubbed and stained along edges, binding holes on right, a few minor worm holes. Estimate: $2,000–3,000. 183. KUNIHIDE: aiban uchiwa-e (22.7 × 29.5cm.); a beauty with a shamisen before a background of iris, entitled Meisho Kihōji Horikiri hanashobu “Famous place, Iris at Kihō Temple in Horikiri”, signed Kunihide ga, censor’s seal corresponding to 1853, second month, published by Masugin—very good impression and color, very slight stain along edges, binding holes on left edge. Estimate: $2,000–3,000. 184. KUNIYOSHI, KUNICHIKA AND YOSHITSUYA; three uchiwa-e of umbrellas, one of blue ground with Yoshikuni seal of Kuniyoshi, another with inscription Tokiwazu uta and crest, and another of the reverse of the second, the second and third published by Ibaya Kyūbei; a diptych of a theatrical scene, actor Ichikawa Danjūrō IX in the Shibaraku role within a mimasu crest border, signed (by order) Toyohara Kunichika hitsu, dated Meiji 11 (1878) and published by Tanaka Shōzō; and a sumizuri-e of a theatrical scene, including the name of the stage-carpenter and property man, signed Ichieisai Yoshitsuya ga—very good impressions and color, slightly soiled, slight stain along upper edges and minor worm holes near edges, the second, very good color, slightly creased on upper left corner on the left panel, the third, slightly toned, soiled, creased and rubbed, some restorations. Estimate: $2,000–3,000. -
NEWOrigin: Seychelles, endemic to Praslin and Curieuse Islands
Weight: 812 g
Dimensions: 210 × 215 × 135 mm
Condition: Naturally aged, with a dark, textured surface and visible patinaThis Coco de Mer seed, also known as the double coconut, features its characteristic bilobed shape with a deep central groove resembling the human form. The dark brown to black surface exhibits natural striations, a fibrous texture, and a slightly glossy patina. Specks of residue and natural imperfections indicate age and environmental exposure.
One side presents a narrower, well-defined cleft, while the opposite side is broader and more rounded, emphasizing its unique form and symmetry. The seed's dense, heavy structure aligns with the species’ reputation as the largest and heaviest seed in the plant kingdom.
Native exclusively to the Seychelles, the Coco de Mer was historically surrounded by mystical associations, once believed to be a fruit from an underwater tree. This specimen has been naturally preserved, showcasing the organic beauty and rarity of the species.
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NEWHardcover volume 257 x 172 mm in a suede slipcase 264 x 175 mm, bound by Ateliers Babouot in yellow morocco, front board gilt-stamped with frames and borders, flat spine with gilt in compartments, brown label lettered in gilt, grey moire endpapers, yellow paper faux-titles, pp. [i-v] vi-x [xi] [3] [2] 1-531 [532] [4], i.e. 552 pp. total, profusely illustrated with full-page and in-text b/w and toned reproductions; top edge gilt. Title-page (gilt and black): DICTIONNAIRE | DES ŒUVRES | ÉROTIQUES | DOMAINE FRANÇAIS | PRÉFACE DE PASCAL PIA | {vignette} | MERCURE DE France || Imprint: Tous droits de reproduction, de traduction et d'adaptation réservés pour tous les pays. © MERCURE DE FRANCE, 1971. Colophon: Achevé d'imprimer le 11 octobre 1971 par Firmin-Didot Paris-Mesnil-Ivry sur couche job mat des papeteries Dujardin ; photogravure Haudressy-Ronan ; reliure de Babouot ; maquette de Gilbert Minazzoli et Virginia Silva. Imprint : № d'édition : 5398 – № d'impression : 6384; Dépôt légal : 4e trimestre 1971. Contributors: Pascal Pia [Pierre Durand] (French, 1903 – 1979) – author/compiler. -
The top cover of the French humouristic weekly Le Rire № 631, 7 Mars 1931. Lettering: № 631 – 7 Mars 1931 … S.A.D.E.P. … Le Numéro : 1 fr. 50 | Le Rire | JOURNAL HUMORISTIQUE PARAISSANT LE SAMEDI | — Dis donc, maman, ce qu'il doit être curieux, le / Monsieur d'en face, ça fait une heure qu'il cherche à / lire le titre de ton livre. | Dessin de ROJANKOVSKY. Publisher: S.A.D.E.P. => Éditions: Société Auxilliaire pour la Diffusion des Éditions de Productivité — 11, rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré, Paris. Artist: Feodor Rojankovsky [Rojan, Фёдор Степанович Рожанковский] (Russian-French-American, 1891 – 1970) -
NEWHardcover volume 290 x 225 mm, bound in blue cloth with red lettering to front and spine, pictorial endpapers, in glossy black pictorial dust jacket, pp.: [1-7] 8-126 [2], profusely illustrated in colour. Title-page: GERARD INGOLD | Les boules | presse-papiers | et les sulfures | DES CRISTALLERIES | DE SAINT LOUIS | {publisher’s device Hermé} || Author: Ingold, Gerard (French, 1922 – 2011) -
NEWSoftcover volume 218 x 155 mm, French flapped wrappers in glassine jacket, with red lettering to front “UNE JEUNE FILLE | À LA PAGE”; pp.: [1-8] 9-139 [140] [4], i.e. 72 leaves total, incl. those in the wrapper, plus 10 photomechanically printed colour plates after Paul-Émile Bécat. Limited edition of 400 copies with 350 printed on vélin surfin paper numbered from 51 to 400; this is copy № 254. Title-page (red and black): HELENA VARLEY | UNE JEUNE FILLE | A LA PAGE | {fleuron} | A LA VILLA BRIGITTE | COLLECTION DES DEUX HÉMISPHÈRES || Imprint/Limitation: CETTE ÉDITION, NON MISE DANS LE COMMERCE | ET RÉSERVÉE A DES AMATEURS, A ÉTÉ TIRÉE | A 400 EXEMPLAIRES, TOUS NUMÉROTÉS A LA | PRESSE, A SAVOIR : | 50 EXEMPLAIRES SUR VELIN PUR FIL LAFUMA, | NUMÉROTÉS DE 1 A 50 ; | 350 EXEMPLAIRES SUR VELIN SURFIN, |NUMÉROTÉS DE 51 A 400. | EXEMPLAIRE N° 254 | Exemplaire sur vélin surfin. || Catalogue raisonné: Dutel III № 2564, p. 401. Honesterotica. Contributors: Nicolaï, Michèle [Varley, Helena] (French, 1896 – 1950) – author. Bécat, Paul-Émile (French, 1885 – 1960) – artist. Duflou, Maurice (French, 1885 – 1951) – publisher. -
NEWHardcover volume 295 x 240 mm, blue cloth spine over paper boards; front pictorial with lettering, back blue with white lettering, red lettering to spine; pp. [1–6] 7–527 [528]; catalogue of the Alan Medaugh collection of Utagawa Hiroshige prints, featuring an annotated catalogue of 500 works, divided into nine thematic sections, with essays by leading scholars.Title-page: HIROSHIGE | NATURE AND THE CITY | PRINTS FROM THE ALAN MEDAUGH COLLECTION | — | CATALOGUE BY JIM DWINGER | ESSAYS BY JOHN T. CARPENTER | ANDREAS MARKS | RHIANNON PAGET | SHIHO SASAKI | COLLECTION PHOTOGRAPHY BY RYOKO MATSUBA | — | PUBLISHED BY LUDION ||
Contributors:
- Utagawa Hiroshige [歌川 広重] a.k.a. Andō Hiroshige [安藤 広重] (Japanese, 1797–1858) – artist.
- Medaugh, Alan (American, 1963 – 2024) – collector.
- Dwinger, Jim – catalogue compiler.
- Carpenter, John T. – essayist.
- Marks, Andreas – essayist.
- Paget, Rhiannon – essayist.
- Sasaki, Shiho – essayist.
- Matsuba, Ryoko – collection photographer.
- Ludion – publisher.
ISBN: 978-9493039988.
For more information, you can refer to the publisher's page: accartbooks.com
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NEWSoftcover volume 250 x 190 mm in publisher’s French flapped wrappers in glassine jacket, marbled with red lettering, in a double slipcase 257 x 196 mm with printed imitation of toile de Jouy; printed on watermarked BFK Rives paper, outer and lower margins untrimmed, unbound, folded quires in 4to, pp.: [1-6] 7-116 [4], leaves in the wrappers not counted, plus 12 plates – coloured etchings by Suzanne Ballivet – within collation; tissue guards laid in. Title-page (red and black): HONORÉ - GABRIEL RIQUETTI | COMTE DE MIRABEAU | le rideau levé | ou | L'EDUCATION | de | LAURE | {fleuron} | AUX ÉDITIONS DU PRIAPE D'ARGENT | — | AVEC PRIVILEGE DU ROY || Colophon: LA PREMIÈRE PARTIE DU RIDEAU LEVÉ, | A ÉTÉ ACHEVÉE D'IMPRIMER EN MARS | 1794, SUR LES PRESSES DE MAITRE BRUTUS | NICAISE, A VERSAILLES. | DANS LA SECONDE PARTIE DE CET OU- | VRAGE, TIRÉE TRÈS PROCHAINEMENT LE | LECTEUR RETROUVERA LAURE, LA JEUNE | HEROINE DE CE RECIT, QUI, EN UN LAN- | GAGE DÉNUÉ DE CETTE FAUSSE PUDEUR, | CHERE AUX HYPOCRITES, CONTERA LES | PRÉMICES DE SON INITIATION AUX | JOUTES AMOUREUSES | 🖤 || Justification du tirage. Le tirage de cette édition a été rigoureusement limité a cent quatre-vingt-dix-sept exemplaires. Sa composition s'effectue de la façon suivante : Un exemplaire unique sur Japon Imperial portant le numéro 1 ; Douze exemplaires sur grand papier de Rives a la forme numérotés de 2 a 13 ; Vingt-quatre exemplaires sur grand papier de Rives a la forme, numérotés de 14 a 37 ; Cent soixante exemplaires sur grand papier de Rives a la forme, numérotes de 38 a 197. Enrichis d'une suite des remarques [sv: lacking]. Il a été tiré en outre : vingt-six exemplaires marqués de A à z, destinés à un groupe de bibliophiles d’Afrique du nord. Exemplaire N° 190. Limitation: This is copy № 190 of the print run of 197 commercial copies. Catalogue raisonné: Dutel III № 2333, p. 350 ; Honesterotica. Contributors: Mirabeau, Honoré Gabriel Riqueti, Comte de (French, 1749 – 1791) – author. Suzanne Ballivet (French, 1904 – 1985) – artist. -
NEWTwo softcover volumes, 295 × 210 mm each, uniformly bound in wrappers with black and grey lettering and a vignette to the front, lettering to the spine, and vignette to the back; both housed in a black cloth slipcase with gilt lettering in a gilt octagonal frame. Vol. 1: Pale yellow wrappers, vignette in colour, lettering, two green flyleaves in the front and back, pp.: [1] 2–167 [1]; contains a detailed study of Hiroshige’s travel prints, including the Tōkaidō and Kisokaidō series. Title-page: PRINTS | BY UTAGAWA HIROSHIGE | IN THE JAMES A. MICHENER | COLLECTION | VOLUME 1 | Essay by Kobayashi Tadashi | Catalogue by Howard A. Link | {publisher’s device} Honolulu Academy of Arts 1991 || Vol. 2: Cream wrappers, vignette in black and white, lettering, pp.: [1] 2–64; provides additional analysis, notes, and a selected bibliography. Title-page: PRINTS | BY UTAGAWA HIROSHIGE | IN THE JAMES A. MICHENER | COLLECTION | VOLUME 2 | Essays and Catalogue Commentaries | by Howard A. Link | {vignette portrait} | {publisher’s device} Honolulu Academy of Arts 1991 || Contributors: Utagawa Hiroshige (Japanese, 1797–1858) – artist. James A. Michener (American, 1907–1997) – collector. Kobayashi Tadashi (Japanese, born 1941) – essayist. Howard A. Link (American, dates unknown) – catalogue compiler. Honolulu Academy of Arts (now Honolulu Museum of Art) – publisher. -
Hardcover volume 226 x 206 mm, bound in black cloth, orange paper panel with lettering, black endpapers, pp.: [1-8] 9-128 [4]; print run limited to 502 copies, with 500 printed on Papeir Libris numbered from 1 to 500, of which this is copy № 443. Gift ms in blue ballpen to h.t. by Jacques Duprilot for Guy Parguez (French, 1936 – 2021), a librarian at Lyon Public Library (Bibliothèque de la Ville de Lyon) : « Pour Guy Parguez afin qu'il n'ignore plus rien du presque du catalogue du cabinet secret du Prince G***. Aves toute ma sympathie. A Lyon 1e 18 Juin 1989. Duprilot ». Title-page: JACQUES DUPRILOT | L'ÉNIGME DU CATALOGUE | DU CABINET SECRET | DU PRINCE G*** | OU LES RUSES DU LIBRAIRE LEHEC || Half-title: LES CURIOSA DE MONSIEUR LEHEC | ET | LA GENÈSE | DU CATALOGUE DU CABINET SECRET | DU PRINCE G*** | (1887-1890) || Limitation (colophon): ÉDITION ORIGINALE | ACHEVÉE D'IMPRIMER EN MARS 1989 | PAR DUMARET & GOLAY À CAROUGE-GENÈVE | COMPRENANT | 2 EXEMPLAIRES DE TÊTE NOMINATIFS | SUR JAPON KOZU VELLUM | ET 500 EXEMPLAIRES SUR PAPIER LIBRIS | NUMÉROTÉS DE 1 À 500 | EXEMPLAIRE N° 443 || -
NEWSoftcover volume 240 x 210 mm, publisher’s pictorial wrappers, back wrapper blank, pp.: [1-6] 7-166 [2], b/w illustrations throughout; ISBN 2-86000-022-4. Title-page: LE PARISIEN CHEZ LUI | AU XIX SIÈCLE | 1814 – 1914 | ARCHIVES NATIONALES | HOTEL DE ROHAN | NOVEMBRE 1976 • FÉVRIER 1977 || Imprint: L'Exposition a été organisée | par le Secrétariat d'État à la Culture, | Direction des Archives de France, | avec le concours financier | de la Délégation Générale aux Expositions et Échanges Culturels | et de la Ville de Paris, | et la participation de la Société des | Amis des Archives de France || Favier, Jean (French, 1932 – 2014) – author, directeur général des Archives de France. -
NEWArtist: Attributed to Katsushika Hokusai (葛飾 北斎) (1760–1849) – unsigned. Publisher: Unknown, seal Hei (平); Marks 05-004 | U377a (1848) Censor Seal: Double nanushi Hama (濱) & Kunigasa (衣笠) Date: Kōka 4–5 / Kaei 1 (1847–1848) Media: Rigid fan print (Aiban Yoko-e Uchiwa-e, 合判横絵 団扇絵), 239 × 301 mm The legendary elderly couple Jō and Uba (尉と姥), spirits of the paired pines of Takasago (高砂) and Sumiyoshi (住吉), are known as the Aioi-no-Matsu (相生の松). They symbolize marital harmony, longevity, and the enduring bond of love. The Takasago legend is one of the oldest in Japanese mythology, famously portrayed in the Noh play Takasago no Uta (高砂の歌).Aioi-no-Matsu – The Paired Pines of Takasago and Sumiyoshi
The Aioi-no-Matsu refers to two pine trees growing separately but intertwined at the roots, representing an unbreakable union.- The Takasago pine (高砂の松) grows in Harima Province, while the Sumiyoshi pine (住吉の松) stands in Settsu Province.
- Though physically distant, these trees are spiritually connected, like Jō and Uba, the aged couple who embody their spirits.
- The phrase "The wind that blows through Takasago reaches Sumiyoshi" symbolizes the continuity of love and harmony across time and space.
Aioi-no-Matsu in the Noh Play Takasago
The Noh play Takasago, attributed to Zeami, popularized this imagery.- Jō and Uba appear as an elderly couple raking pine needles, revealing themselves as the spirits of the Aioi-no-Matsu.
- The play conveys the theme of eternal harmony between husband and wife, making Aioi-no-Matsu a symbol of auspicious blessings for weddings and longevity celebrations.
Symbolism in the Print
This print incorporates traditional symbols of longevity and prosperity:- A minogame (蓑亀, "straw-cloaked turtle"), representing immortality, rests near the shore.
- A crane (鶴, tsuru), a symbol of marital fidelity.
- The rising sun over the ocean represents renewal and hope for the coming year.
- Jō and Uba’s presence under the Aioi-no-Matsu (Paired Pines) evokes the traditional New Year’s wish for long life and unity.
- The minogame and crane further reinforce New Year’s themes of prosperity and fortune.
Comparison to MFA Boston Prints
This print shares strong visual and thematic connections with two works attributed to Hokusai in the MFA Boston collection:- Accession No. 21.10269 – "Jō and Uba, the Spirits of the Pine Trees of Takasago and Sumiyoshi"
- Depicts the couple sweeping pine needles, reinforcing themes of domestic harmony and renewal.
- Includes a minogame and a flying crane, similar to this print.
- Accession No. 21.7869 – Another version of "Jō and Uba"
- Shows Jō and Uba standing, gazing at the sea, in a more expansive composition.
- Features a large pine tree, crashing waves, and a red sun, mirroring the background elements in this print.
MFA-B № 21.10269
MFA-B № 21.7869
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NEWArtist: Katsukawa Shun'ei [勝川 春英] (Japanese, 1762 – 1819) Signature: Shun'ei ga [春英画] Dimensions: Aiban yoko-e uchiwa-e, 230 x 268 mm. Censor seal: absent (probably because before 1810). Publisher: Iseya Sōemon – 板元,上, Marks 21-216|156g: Hanmoto, Ue. A blue seal in the middle of the print. -
NEWArtist: Keisai Eisen [渓斎 英泉] (Japanese, 1790 – 1848)
Signed: Keisai Eisen ga (渓齋英泉画)
Publisher: Masudaya Ginjirō [増田屋銀次郎] (Japanese, 1830s – c.1871); seal name Masugin (増銀); Marks: 08-005 | 304a
Date: No date/censor seal (privately printed?)
Media: Aiban yoko-e uchiwa-e (団扇絵), color woodblock print, 230 x 295 mm
Description:
Half-length portrait of a young woman in three-quarter view, turned slightly to the left, holding a handheld paper lantern (tesage andon, 手提行灯, which casts light on her face. She wears a blue kimono adorned with chrysanthemum roundels over a red under-kimono, with a blue collar featuring a meander pattern. Her hair is elaborately styled with combs and kanzashi hairpins, indicative of her profession as a geisha. A willow tree is depicted in the background. The design on the lantern likely repeats the publisher's device in red.Estimated production date: c. 1830s.
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NEWHardcover volume 343 x 268 mm, binding by Grimm et Bleicher (Munich) in red cloth with author’s gilt fac-simile to front and gilt lettering to spine, in matching red cloth slipcase, pink endpapers, pp. [1-6] 7-13 [14] [82] (i.e. 48 leaves) with 84 photomechanically reproduced drawings after Leonor Fini. A copy of an unlimited print run. Title-page: Léonor Fini | Les Merveilles de | la Nature || Colophon: JEAN-JACQUES PAUVERT, 8, rue de Nesle, PARIS-VI. © 1971 Editions Kurt Desch GmbH, Munich. Tous droits réservés, y compris ceux de reproductions partielles et de reproductions photomécaniques. Papier des Papeteries Scheufelen, Oberlenningen. Mise en page et impression des entreprises graphiques R. Oldenbourg, Munich. Reliure conçue par Christel Aumann, Munich, et réalisée par Grimm et Bleicher, Munich. Imprimé en Allemagne, 1971. Il a été tiré, spécialement pour Jean-Jacques Pauvert et la Librairie du Palimugre, cent exemplaires numérotés de 1 à 100 contenant une gravure originale de Léonor Fini. Reference: www.honesterotica.com Contributors: Leonor Fini (French, 1907 – 1996) – artist. Severo Sarduy (Cuban, 1937 – 1993) – author/poetry. Jean-Jacques Pauvert (French, 1926 – 2014) – publisher. Kurt Desch (German, 1903 – 1984) – publisher. -
NEWAdvertisement, cover sheet from the album “Improvisations” — Artists Equity Fund, Inc. presents Spring Fantasia Masquerade Ball, May 15, 1953, Hotel Astor. Comb-spine bound pictorial album of 66 colour plates; Limited Edition of 2000 copies; chromolithography on wove paper 305 x 234 mm; marginal holes after plastic comb-spine binding. Recto: Improvisations | ARTISTS EQUITY | MASQUERADE | BALL | 1953 | may 15 | HOTEL ASTOR | Vertès || Verso: “SCHENLEY | DISTRIBUTORS, INC | 350 – 5 AVE NYC. | A. Refregier || Reference: Laster's Fine Art & Antiques; The Cary Collection. Contributors: Marcel Vertès [Marcell Vértes] (Jewish-Hungarian-French, 1895 – 1961) Anton Refregier (Russian-American, 1905 – 1979) Bertram A. Goodman (American, 1904 – 1988) -
NEWHalf-bound green over grey cloth flapped folder 530 x 370 mm with laces, 3 in-folio folded leaves with text (6 pages) and drawn title-page plus 30 colour offset lithographs 510 x 350 mm after Marcel Vertès. Print run limited to 331 copies with 278 on Sirène, of which this is copy № 51. Title-page: VERTÈS | Nous les Abstraits | Préface de | Roger Peyrefitte || Imprint: © 1960 BY ÉDITIONS LÉDA, 36, RUE ÉTIENNE-MARCEL, PARIS 2° || Colophon: ACHEVÉ D'IMPRIMER | LE 18 AVRIL 1960 |PAR | JACQUES LONDON, IMPRIMEUR | POUR LA PRÉFACE | ET | RENÉ GUILLARD | POUR LES LITHOGRAPHIES || Limitation: CET OUVRAGE A ÉTÉ TIRÉ A 331 EXEMPLAIRES | DONT : UN EXEMPLAIRE UNIQUE COMPORTANT TROIS DESSINS | ORIGINAUX ET DEUX DESSINS ORIGINAUX REFUSÉS, LA | SUITE COMPLÈTE DES PLANCHES AQUARELLÉES A LA | MAIN PAR L'ARTISTE ET QUINZE CROQUIS ORIGINAUX | DE PRÉPARATION. (EXEMPLAIRE NUMÉROTÉ UN.) | 5 EXEMPLAIRES SUR VÉLIN D'ARCHES COMPORTANT | DEUX DESSINS ORIGINAUX ET UN DESSIN ORIGINAL | REFUSÉ, TROIS PLANCHES AQUARELLÉES A LA MAIN, DEUX | PLANCHES REFUSÉES ET CINQ CROQUIS ORIGINAUX, | NUMÉROTÉS DE 2 A 6. | 17 EXEMPLAIRES SUR VÉLIN D'ARCHES COMPORTANT UN | DESSIN ORIGINAL, UNE PLANCHE REFUSÉE ET UN CROQUIS | ORIGINAL, NUMÉROTÉS DE 7 A 23. | 278 EXEMPLAIRES SUR OFFSET SIRÈNE, NUMÉROTÉS DE 24 A 301 | 30 | EXEMPLAIRES HORS COMMERCE NUMÉROTÉS H.C. I | A H.C. XXX. 51 || Marcel Vertès [Marcell Vértes] (Jewish-Hungarian-French, 1895 – 1961) – artist/author Pierre Roger Peyrefitte (French, 1907 – 2000) – author/preface. Imprimerie London (Paris); Jacques [Jankiel] London (Jewish-Ukrainian-French, 1910 – 2011) – printer/text. René Guillard (French, 1889 – after 1961) – printer/lithographs. -
NEWSoftcover volume 245 x 195 mm in cream French flapped wrapper with blue lettering to front, printed on wove paper with Arches watermarkes, header and footer framed in blue arabesque; pp.: ffl [1-4] 5-124 [125] [3] ffl, i.e. 64 leaves plus 12 colour lithographs by Schem (Raoul Serres), incl. frontispiece. A print run of 325 copies, of which this is copy № 69 on Arches vellum. Title-page (blue and black): MARQUIS DE SADE | HISTOIRE | DE JÉRÔME | ILLUSTRÉE D'EAUX-FORTES ORIGINALES | REHAUSSÉES DE COULEURS | PAR UN | ARTISTE INCONNU | PARIS | CHEZ TOUS LES LIBRAIRES | MCMXXXVI || Colophon: JUSTIFICATION DU TIRAGE. Cette édition du Marquis de Sade, illustrée de 12 eaux-fortes originales d'un artiste célèbre, a été strictement limitée à 325 exemplaires sur grand vélin d'Arches à la forme. N° 1. Exemplaire unique sur Japon impérial, comprenant l'état définitif en couleurs des I2 eaux-fortes, une suite en noir avec remarques un cuivre et les 12 dessins originaux. Nos 2 et 3 sur Japon impérial, comprenant l'état définitif en couleurs des 12 eaux-fortes, une suite en noir avec remarques et un dessin de l'artiste. Nos 4 à 12 sur grand vélin d'Arches à la forme, comprenant l'état définitif en couleurs des I2 eaux-fortes, une suite en noir avec remarques un cuivre et un dessin de l'artiste. Nos 13 à 50 sur grand vélin d'Arches à la forme comprenant l'état définitif en couleurs des 12 eaux-fortes et suite en noir avec remarques. Nos 51 à 325 sur grand vélin d'Arches à la forme avec l'état définitif en couleurs des 12 eaux-fortes. Catalogue raisonné: Dutel III № 1697, p. 199. Contributors: Donatien Alphonse François, Marquis de Sade (French, 1740 – 1814) – author. Schem [real name Raoul Serres] (French, 1881– 1971) – artist. -
"The Jewish Hungarian artist Nicolas Sternberg moved to Paris in the 1920s, remaining there for the rest of his life, hiding during the German occupation of the city in the 1940s under false identity papers". [MIA: Minneapolis Institute of Art, cited] Jean-Pierre Dutel provides the following information: Nicolas Sternberg was born to Jewish parents on July 9, 1902, in Nagyvárad, in Austro-Hungary. According to the archives of the Préfecture de police in Paris (1930), he was Hungarian. His real name was Miklós Szines-Sternberg. At the time, it was common among painters and sculptors to retain their original German names while adopting Hungarian-German double surnames. From age twelve, he worked as a newspaper illustrator in Budapest before moving to Paris in the early 1920s after studying in Munich. He published regularly in Paris-Soir, one of the most important French daily newspapers between the wars. Despite his talent, only one solo exhibition seems to have been dedicated to him at the Galerie Georges Petit (Georges Petit, 1856–1920) in 1929. Jules Pascin (1885 –1930) exhibited there in 1930 and committed suicide on the opening day. Sternberg is known for his drawings devoted to the circus, madmen, and pornography. He excelled in portraits and self-portraits, particularly fine portraits of his wife Miche and his friend Michel Simon (1895–1975). In 1927, he made drawings for Les Flambeaux de la Noce, a play at the Comédie-Française. He also contributed to the illustration of La Légende des sexes by Edmond Haraucourt (1856 –1941). In 1930, he created illustrations for Les Aventures du Roi Pausole by Pierre Louÿs (1870–1925), published by Simon Kra (1853–1940), and for an edition of the bawdy songs Les Trois Orfèvres à la Saint Éloi, which led to an investigation into its publisher and illustrator. He also produced original watercolours for an edition of Manuel de Civilité by Pierre Louÿs. In 1933, he illustrated Madame de Pompadour by Paul Reboux (1877 –1963). In 1937, Sternberg illustrated Souls and Secrets, a collection of Hasidic stories by József Patai (1882–1953), translated by his son, the anthropologist, ethnologist, and historian Raphael Patai (Budapest, 1910 – Tucson, 1996), who kept some of Sternberg’s works in his home. Portraits of Michel Simon dating from 1932, along with numerous pornographic photographs of Sternberg taken by the actor between 1940 and 1960, demonstrate the longevity of their relationship. In 1940, Sternberg miraculously escaped the Nazi’s aerial bombardment that killed several members of his family. During the Occupation, he lived in hiding with false papers and resumed his career in Paris after the war. Despite visual differences, Jules Pascin and Nicolas Sternberg shared some curious similarities. Their works, though employing different techniques, reflect the same underlying despair. Like Pascin, Sternberg committed suicide. -
NEWSoftcover volume 240 x 192 x 40 mm in publisher’s glossy wrappers with flaps, pp. [1-6] 7-576, profusely illustrated in b/w and colour, three language publications: French (7-393), English (395-469), Russian (470-551). 2nd edition; the 1st edition © Denoël, Paris, 2000 sous le titre « Peintres juifs à Paris, École de Paris, 1905-1939 ». ISBN 978-2-7572-0701-7. Title-page: NIESZAWER & PRINC | ARTISTES JUIFS | DE L'ÉCOLE DE PARIS | 1905-1939 | JEWISH ARTISTS | OF THE SCHOOL OF PARIS | ЕВРЕЙСКИЕ ХУДОЖНИКИ | ПАРИЖСКОЙ ШКОЛЫ | Sous la direction de | Nadine Nieszawer | Expert de l'École de Paris 1905-1939 | Deborah Princ – Arthur Princ – Boris Princ | Marie Boyé Taillan – Paul Fogel | Traduction du français vers l'anglais | Deborah Princ | Traduction du français vers le russe | Oleg Semenov | PRÉFACE | PREFACE | ПРЕДИСЛОВИЕ | Claude Lanzmann | SOMOGY | ÉDITIONS | D'ART || -
NEWTwo hardcover volumes 280 x 210 mm each, collated in-4to, with continuous pagination, total number of pages 431, uniformly bound by Pierre Ouvrard in ¾ morocco over marbled boards, spines are decorated with floral designs and gilt-lettered labels; floral diaper endpapers, top margin gilt; profusely illustrated in b/w and dual-tone. Limited edition of 1060 numbered copies with №№ 1-60 printed on wove paper (papeir Japon) and №№ 61-1060 on wove paper (papier vélin), of which this is copy № 138. Vol. 1: blue binding, original pictorial wrappers (colour woodcut) bound in; collation π4 a2 1-344: [2] h.t., [2] pictorial t.p., [i-iii] iv-vi, [1] 2-268. Engraved title-page by Leon Rudnicki, in red and black, in a frame: L'ART | DANS LA DECORATION EXTERIEURE DES LIVRES | en France et à L'Étranger | Les Couvertures illustrées | les Cartonnages d'Éditeurs | la Reliure d'Art | par | OCTAVE USANNE | {vignette} | Paris | Société Française d'Éditions d'Art | L-Henry May | 9 et 11 Rue Saint-Benoit 9 et 11 | 1898 || Imprint: Exemplaire N° 138. | IL A ÉTÉ TIRÉ DE CETTE ÉDITION | Mille Exemplaires SUR PAPIER VÉLIN | NUMÉROTÉS DE 61 A 1060 | ET | Soixante Exemplaires SUR JAPON | NUMÉROTÉS DE 1 A 60. ||Frontispice, en deux tons, de RICHARD WALLACE; Tire, Ornements, Tétes de Chapitres et Culs-de-lampe de Léon RUDNICKI.
Vol. 2: brown binding; collation: one ffl, 64 leaves of plates printed on both sides, unpaginated, then [269] 270-272 [4] two ffls. Colophon: CE LIVRE | a été achevé d'imprimer | SUR LES PRESSES TYPOGRAPHIQUES | DE LA MAISON LAHURE | à Paris | {vignette} | Le vingt-cing Novembre | 1897 | PAR LES SOINS DE L'AUTEUR |POUR | LA SOCIÉTÉ FRANÇAISE D'ÉDITION D'ART | L.-H. MAY, ÉDITEUR || Contributors: Octave Uzanne (French, 1851 – 1931) – author/compiler. L.-Henry-May (French, late 19th century) – publisher. Société française d'éditions d'art (Paris) – publisher. Léon Rudnicki (French, 1831 – 1958) – engraver/artist. Louis Rhead (British-American, 1857 – 1926) Pierre Ouvrard (Canadian, 1929 – 2008) – bookbinder. -
NEWA softcover volume 285 x 190 mm in cream French flapped wrapper and glassine dust cover, with lettering to front, pp.: [1-8] 9-201 [202] [4], i.e. 103 leaves, incl. frontispiece, ‘Fin’ page and leaves within the wrappers. Title-page vignette, full-page and in-text illustrations, and tailpieces after Feodor Rojankovsky by au pochoir reproductions in colour. Print run limited to 200 numbered copies, of which this is № 14. Title-page: P. L. | TROIS FILLES | DELEUR MÈRE | {vignette} | AUX DÉPENS D'UN AMATEUR | ET POUR SES AMIS || Limitation: Le présent ouvrage a été tiré à | deux cents exemplaires tous numérotés | EXEMPLAIRE 14 || Catalogue raisonné: Dutel III № 2522, p. 391; Pia II № 1341, p. 700. Contributors: Pierre Louÿs (French, 1870 – 1925) – author. Feodor Rojankovsky [Rojan; Рожанковский, Фёдор Степанович] (Russian-American, 1891 – 1970) – artist. As for the illustrations, Pascal Pia (1978) in Les Livres de l'enfer does not provide any attribution. Jean-Pierre Dutel in his Bibliographie des ouvrages érotiques publiés clandestinement en français entre 1920 et 1970 (2005) attributes the illustrations to René Ranson (René Gontran Ranson, 1891 – 1977). After that, many antiquarian dealers and bloggers (John Kruse of johnkruseblog) repeat that wrongful attribution made by Victor Arwas. Now, Mr. Dutel has instructed me to inform the audience that the attribution in Bibliographie des ouvrages érotiques was wrong and that the illustrations for this edition were produced by Feodor Rojankovsky. -
NEWSoftcover volume 330 x 255 mm, cream French flapped wrappers with crimson lettering to front in glassine dust cover housed in gilt ivy-diapered 340 x 265 mm clamshell box with full-length label to vertical side, text and 18 in-text colour lithographs printed on 18 quarto unbound gatherings of thick paper watermarked BFK Rives, plus 10 full-page colour lithographs, hand-painted with watercolours. Copy enriched with an autographed dedication to half-title and a suite of the 18 in-text b/w (uncoloured) lithographs on Pur Fil Marais paper. The print run on November 22, 1948, limited edition of 350 copies, 40 copies on vélin de Rives paper, of which this is copy № 67. Title-page (red and black): PIERRE HAREL-DARC | QUAND ON PARLE | D'AMOUR | ou | Le Vrai Dialogue Sentimental | ILLUSTRATIONS DE | JEAN-GABRIEL DOMERGUE | {fleuron} | COLLECTION DU LIERRE | PARIS | 1948 || Colophon: Ce livre composé en caractères Garamond Corps dix-huit a été achevé d'imprimer le 22 novembre 1948 par Georges Girard pour la typographie, Maurice Beaudet pour la lithographie et « le coloris» pour les aquarelles le tirage se limite à trois cent cinquante exemplaires se décomposant comme suit : Dix exemplaires sur vélin de Rives avec suites en couleurs et une aquarelle numérotés de 1 a 10 ; Vingt exemplaires sur vélin de Rives avec suites en couleurs et un dessin, numérotes de 11 a 30 ; Quarante exemplaires sur vélin de Rives avec une suite en noir, numérotes de 31 a 70 ; Deux cent quatre-vingts exemplaires sur vélin Pur Fil du Marais, numérotés de 71 a 350 ; quelques exemplaires hors commerce ont été réservés a l'auteur, a l'illustrateur, a l'éditeur et a ses amis. Exemplaire 67. Contributors: Pierre Maurice Harel [Harel-Darc] (French, 1890 – 1965) – author Jean-Gabriel Domergue (French, 1889 – 1962) Georges Girard (French, 20th century) – printer/text Maurice Beaudet (French, 20th century) – printer/lithography -
NEWSoftcover volume 245 x 192 mm in a slipcase 153 x 192 mm, cream parchment flapped wrappers with lettering to front and spine, unbound, margins untrimmed, printed on wove paper, collated in 16 unbound gatherings, unsigned, text in pink arabesque frame with a round vignette in the bottom; the contents is similar to previously published Douze douzains de dialogues ou petites scènes amoureuses by Pierre Louÿs (see LIB-3144.2023 and LIB-2819.2021 in this collection. Pagination: [1-8] 9-124 [125 colophon] [3 blanks], .i.e. 64 leaves plus 12 lithographic plates, extraneous to collation. Plates are attributed to Jean Berque. Print run of 153 copies, of which this is copy № 45. A typical case of a clandestine reproduction of erotic text with quickly made salacious illustrations during the occupation of France by the Nazis. Title-page: Pierre Louys | — | DIALOGUES | ou | Petites Scènes Amoureuses | 1943 | LES ÉDITIONS SOUS LE MANTEAU | LORIENT || Colophon: CET OUVRAGE, NON DESTINÉ A ÊTRE MIS DANS LE | COMMERCE, A ÉTÉ TIRÉ A CENT-CINQUANTE-TROIS | EXEMPLAIRES, SAVOIR : 3 EXEMPLAIRES SUR ARCHES A LA FORME, Nos 1 A 3. | 150 EXEMPLAIRES SUR RIVES PUR FIL, Nos 4 A 153. | Exemplaire N 00,045 || Catalogue raisonné: Dutel III № 1397, p. 130. Contributors: Pierre Louÿs (French, 1870 – 1925) – author. Jean Berque (French, 1896 – 1954) – atrist. -
NEWHardcover volume 287 x 237 mm, bound by San Remo (signed) in red full straight-grained morocco, boards decorated with a frame of gilt and blind-stamped fillets with fleurons in the corners, spine with faux raised bands, gilt in compartments snd gilt lettering, top edge gilt, other untrimmed; pastedown with grey percaline in a red morocco frame with gilt fillet, grey percaline free endpaper; publisher’s original wrappers preserved and bound in, printed on wove paper with “Johannot” watermark. Collation: 4 fly leaves, 1st with the previous owner’s ‘EXLIBRIS JEAN PERISSE’ imprint, front wrapper, blank, h.t., t.p., pp. 1-161 [162], blank, plus 17 full-page and 2 in-text hand-coloured etchings, incl. frontispiece, A propos / Louis Icart fac-simile to verso, 6 leaves of cancelled plates, colophon, blank, rear wrapper, spine, 3 fly leaves. Title-page (red and black): PROSPER JOLYOT DE CRÉBILLON | LA | NUIT | ET LE | MOMENT | imagé de vingt-cinq eaux-fortes originales, en couleurs, | par | LOUIS ICART | {fleuron} | GEORGES GUILLOT, ÉDITEUR | 7, RUE PERRONET | PARIS || Colophon: La nuit et le moment de Prosper de Crébillon, réalisé par les éditions d'art Georges Guillot, est image de vingt-cinq eaux-fortes originales en couleurs, dont cinq en suite libre, gravées par Louis Icart. — Son tirage a été limité a 525 exemplaires, a savoir : un exemplaire unique sur Japon Super Nacré portant le n° 1, comprenant trois dessins originaux, une suite sur chine avec trois états des eaux-fortes, les gravures dans leur état définitif et un cuivre encré. — Quinze exemplaires sur Japon Impérial numérotés de 2 a 16, et neuf sur Japon Ivoire numérotés de 17 a 25, comprenant un dessin original, deux états des eaux-fortes, les gravures dans leur état définitif et un cuivre encré. — cent exemplaires sur Rives a la Forme numérotés de 26 a 125, comprenant un dessin original, une suite sanguine et les gravures dans leur état définitif. — Cent-cinquante exemplaires sur Arches a la Forme numérotés de 126 a 275, comprenant les eaux-fortes dans leur état définitif en couleurs. — Deux-cents cinquante exemplaires sur Johannot a la Forme numérotés de 276 a 525, comprenant les eaux-fortes dans leur état définitif en couleurs. — Quinze exemplaires sur différents papiers, comprenant les eaux-fortes dans leur état définitif en couleurs, réservés a l'artiste et a l'éditeur, dénommés exemplaires d'artiste et numérotés de I a XV. — Cette édition a été achevé d'imprimer a paris. Pour la typographie, sur les presses de Pierre Gaudin ; et pour les eaux-fortes, dans les ateliers en taille-douce de Manuel Robbe, le 30 avril 1946. Limitation: Print-run on April 30, 1946, limited to 525 copies plus 15 copies reserved for artist and publisher (I-XV); copies №№ 276-525 on Johannot paper, of which this is copy № 367. Catalogue raisonné: honesterotica.com; William R. Holland pp. 133-147. Contributors: Claude-Prosper Jolyot de Crébillon [Crébillon fils] (French, 1707 – 1777) – author. Louis Icart (French, 1888 – 1950) – artist. Georges Guillot (French) – publisher. Pierre Gaudin – printer/text. Ateliers en taille-douce de Manuel Robbe (French, 1872 – 1936) – printer/plates. Jean Périssé (French, b. 1947) – provenance. -
NEWPaperback volume with quarter red cloth backing 257 x 185 mm, black lettering in English and Japanese to front, red seals fac-simile to front and back; pp. [6] 1-6, 2-6 plates verso only, 7-26 [4] 1-66 [2] 7-88 plates verso only [2], some plates in colour with captioned tissue guards, incl. frontispiece memorial portrait of Utagawa Hiroshige [歌川 広重] a.k.a. Andō Hiroshige [安藤 広重] (Japanese, 1797 – 1858). Limited edition of 275 copies, this is copy № 254. Title-page: CATALOGUE | OF | THE MEMORIAL EXHIBITION | OF | HIROSHIGE'S WORKS | on the 60th Anniversary of His Death. | {red diamond} | Compiled and Published | BY | S. WATANABE. | (Ukiyoye Association) | TOKYO. | 1918. || Author: Shōzaburō Watanabe [渡辺 庄三郎] (Japanese, 1885 – 1962) Five fan prints: № 173. REFLECTED MOON ON THE SUMIDA. № 174. TOTO SHINAGAWA NO KEI. Shinagawa Beach, Yedo. № 179. ZUSÕ HAKONEYAMA YAKO NO ZU. Night Ascent of Hakone Pass. Published by Dansendo. № 180. TSUKI NO SANKEI. Beauties in a boat enjoying evening cool at Ryōgoku, from Three Moonlight Scenes. Published by Dansendo. № 182. SUMIDAGAWA HASHIBA WATASHI VUKI NO KEI. A Ferry Boat at a Sumida River Landing in Snow. -
NEWAn uncut fan print depicting a carp (koi) swimming amid aquatic plants against a deep blue background. Artist: unknown/unsigned, possibly Katsushika Hokusai [葛飾 北斎] (Japanese, 1760 – 1849). Publisher: Enshūya Matabei [遠州屋又兵衛] (Japanese, fl. c. 1768 – 1881) Date: No date seal, no censor seal (privately printed?) Media: Fan print (uchiwa-e, 団扇絵), 224 x 290 mm. Similar subject:
Katsushika TAITO II (fl. c. 1810-53)
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NEWIn red cartouche: Famous places in Bushū and Kanagawa (Bushū Kanagawa meisho) [武州神奈河名昕] In yellow striped square: Gankirō in Yokohama (Yokohama Gankirō) [横濱巌亀楼] / new spelling 横浜岩亀楼. The three kanji [岩亀楼] (Gankirō) are also visible on the sign or lantern above the food tray, carried on the head by a man on the left. Gankirō – the largest 'tea house' (brothel) for foreigners in the Miyozaki pleasure quarters, similar to those in Yoshiwara, in Edo. Artist: Utagawa Hiroshige II [二代目 歌川広重] (Japanese, 1826 – 1869) – a son-in-law of Andō Hiroshige. Signature: Hiroshige ga [廣重画] Dimensions: Aiban yoko-e uchiwa-e, 223 x 289 mm. Combined date/censor seal: monkey (saru - 申) and kiwame (極), 1860. Publisher: Yama-Ta; seal: [板元, 太] – Hanmoto, Ta; Marks 19-044 | U421b: An unknown publisher in Edo, fl. c. 1815-61. Another Hiroshige II's print with the same subject and even the same characters, but in 3rd month, 1859: Entrance to the Gankirō Tea House in the Miyozaki District, Yokohama, Bushu (Bushu Yokohama Gankirō) [諸国名所百景 武州横浜岩亀楼]. Utagawa Yoshikazu's [歌川芳員] depiction of the place in c. 1861 from the inside:[Thanks to Horst Graebner].
Foreigners Enjoying Themselves in the Gankirō. MET JP3264.
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NEWTitle: The Great Waterfall at the Twelve Shrines of Tsunohazu (Tsunohazu juniso otaki) [角筈十二社大滝] from an untitled set of views of famous places in Edo. Artist: Utagawa Hiroshige II [二代目 歌川広重] (Japanese, 1826 – 1869) – a son-in-law of Andō Hiroshige. Signature: Hiroshige ga [廣重画] Dimensions: Aiban yoko-e uchiwa-e, 226 x 291 mm. Combined date/censor seal: tori, 酉 / kiwame 極 – 1861 (Man'en 2 / Bunkyū 1 from 19/II). Publisher: Yama-Ta; seal: [板元, 太] – Hanmoto, Ta; Marks 19-044 | U421b: An unknown publisher in Edo, fl. c. 1815-61. Provenance: Collection of Maroni, Albert (French, 1852 – 1923), red stamp in the bottom-left corner. Reference: [LIB-3429.2025] Christie’s, New York: Japanese Art, Thursday 24 April 1997 / Sales Catalogue; lot № 312.An aizuri-e (blue print) on a popular topic, many times depicted by Andō Hiroshige and Hiroshige II, including the below print by the latter No. 45, the Twelve Kumano Shrines at Tsunohazu (Tsunohazu Kumano jûnisha), from the series Forty-Eight Famous Views of Edo (Edo meisho yonjûhakkei)「江戸名所四十八景 四十五 角筈熊野十二社」
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NEWTitle: Flower calendar for the famous cherry blossoms (Hana goyomi meisho sakura) [花暦名所櫻]. A scene from an imaginary (mitate) kabuki play. Names of the characters (left to right): Kiyomizu/Shimizu Seigen [清水清玄]; Yakko (footman) Yodohei [奴淀平]; koshimoto (court lady) [こしもと]; Sakura hime (princess) [桜姫]. The same characters appear in a few real kabuki plays. Artist: Utagawa Hiroshige [歌川 広重] a.k.a. Andō Hiroshige [安藤 広重] (Japanese, 1797 – 1858) Signature: Hiroshige ga [廣重画] Dimensions: Aiban yoko-e uchiwa-e, 232 x 295 mm. Censor seal: "Mura" [村] for Murata Sahei [村田佐兵衛], used from VI/1842 to V/1846 (Tenpō 13 – Kōka 3). Publisher: Enshūya Matabei [遠州屋又兵衛] (Enterprise, active c. 1768 – 1881); seal: "To" (ト) (Marks 01-031 | 057a). [Thanks to Horst Graebner]. -
NEWArtist: Utagawa Hiroshige [歌川 広重] a.k.a. Andō Hiroshige [安藤 広重] (Japanese, 1797 – 1858). Signed: Hiroshige ga [広重 画] in a red rectangular cartouche. Publisher: Ibaya Senzaburō [伊場屋仙三郎] (Japanese, fl. c. 1815 – 1869); seal: san (三) in a circle Censor seal: Fuku (福) & Muramatsu (村松), 1849-51 Media: Fan print (Uchiwa-e, 団扇絵), color woodblock print, 212 × 284 mm Series: Famous Views of Edo (江戸名所, Edo meisho) Title: Moon (月, Getsu) Provenance: René Scholten (Dutch, 1943 – 2001) Reference: [LIB-3426.2025] Christophe Marquet. Hiroshige: Les éventails d'Edo / Estampes de la collection Georges Leskowicz. — Paris: In fine, 2022; p. 76, pl. 22.This second print in the trilogy Famous Sites of Edo (Edo meisho), titled Moon (Getsu), depicts the first floor of a courtesan’s house on a beautiful autumn night during the full moon.
The fifteenth night of the eighth month—called mid-autumn (chūshū, 仲秋)—was widely appreciated for admiring the beauty of the moon. In his Illustrated Almanac of the Green-Houses (Seirō ehon nenjū gyōji, 青楼絵本年中行事), the writer Jippensha Ikku (十返舎一九, 1765–1831) noted that “in the courtesans’ houses, they composed Chinese poems and Japanese verses, enjoying a banquet throughout the night in refined company.” On this occasion, courtesans who joined such gatherings would receive an extra fee.
Hiroshige shows two courtesans, one holding a shamisen, the other a long pipe (kiseru), as they prepare to enter the banquet room, where another woman is already seated.
Bibliography
- Matsuki, Bunkyo (松木文恭). Catalogue of Japanese Prints, 1924, no. 83 (former collection of Nakamura Tatsujirō).
- Hosaka, Kazuhiko (保坂一彦). 江戸の花 浮世絵展 (Ukiyo-e Geijutsu), no. 80, 1967.
- Sugimoto, Jun. Catalogue of Japanese Prints, 1998, no. 281 (National Museum, Kraków).
- Tanba, Norio (丹波則雄). Hiroshige: Edo no Meisho, 1965, no. 42.
- Tanba, Norio. Hiroshige Fan Prints, 2004, no. 10 (Kanagawa Prefectural Museum of Cultural History).
- Okuda, Yasuhiro (奥田保浩). Hiroshige Uchiwa-e, 2010, no. 11 (Kanagawa Prefectural Museum of Cultural History), list no. 17.
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NEWArtist: Utagawa Hiroshige [歌川 広重] a.k.a. Andō Hiroshige [安藤 広重] (Japanese, 1797 – 1858) Signed: Hiroshige (廣重); seal: Ichiryūsai (一立齋) Publisher: Mikawaya Heiroku (三川屋平六); seal: sanpei (三平) fan-shaped Censor seals: Hama (濱) & Magome (馬込) Date: c. 1849–1851 Media: Fan print (uchiwa-e, 団扇絵), color woodblock, 223 x 260 mm Provenance: Nelkin CollectionTwo rabbits are shown under a large full moon silhouetted against a softly graded blue night sky. One rabbit, rendered in white with a red eye, sits upright facing the moon, while the other, lightly shaded in pale pink, rests in the foreground, partially crouched. The hill they occupy is gently sloping and dotted with tufts of autumn grass (susuki, 薄), their thin, curving stalks swaying in the breeze. The minimalist composition and subdued palette evoke the quiet stillness of an autumn evening and the poetic associations of moon-viewing (tsukimi, 月見).
This elegant uchiwa-e (fan print) reflects classical seasonal imagery rooted in Heian poetry and visual traditions. Rabbits and the full moon symbolize mid-autumn and harvest time. The simplicity and balance of line and colour are characteristic of Utagawa Hiroshige's approach to nature motifs.
Reference: [LIB-3426.2025] Christophe Marquet. Hiroshige: Les éventails d’Edo / Estampes de la collection Georges Leskowicz. — Paris: In fine, 2022; p. 272, pl. 115.
"At least seven examples of this print are known, one of which presents a different background (former collection Werner Schindler), with the addition of a green tone in the lower part to evoke a meadow—possibly constituting an earlier version. Art historian Narazaki Muneshige (Narazaki 1973, p. 37) considered that this print may have been intended as the reverse of a fan, but the existence of numerous examples contradicts this hypothesis, as this type of print is very rarely preserved in good condition".
Bibliography:
- Matsuki 1924, no. 64 (former coll. Nakamura Tatsujiro)
- Ukiyo-e geijutsu, no. 14, 1967, p. 3 (coll. Uchiyama Susumu)
- Narazaki 1973, no. 79 (Achenbach Foundation for Graphic Arts, San Francisco, Katherine Ball Collection)
- Schindler 1985, no. 52
- Okuda 2010, no. 174 (Ota Memorial Museum of Art), list no. 479
- Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 21.10128 (acquired by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1913 for Spaulding)
- The Art Institute of Chicago, 1934.274 (former coll. Clarence Buckingham)
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NEWTitle: The Secret Meeting between Ushiwakamaru and the Daughter of Kiichi Hōgen (Kiichi Hōgen ga hisho o miro) [鬼一法眼が秘書をみる] Series: Scenes from the life of Ushiwaka (Ushiwaka zue) [牛若図会] Artist: Utagawa Hiroshige [歌川 広重] a.k.a. Andō Hiroshige [安藤 広重] (Japanese, 1797 – 1858) Signature: Hiroshige ga [廣重画] Dimensions: Aiban yoko-e uchiwa-e, 226 x 303 mm. Censor seal: Hama & Magome [濱 / 馬込]: 1/1849 – 2/1852 (Kaei 2-5) Publisher: Ibaya Senzaburō [伊場屋仙三郎] (Japanese, fl. C. 1845 – 1847), seal: San [三] (Marks 11-001 | 127c). According to Rupert Faulkner (2001), another copy of this fan print is housed at Ōta Memorial Museum (ŌMM 1998, № 258). There are four other known prints from this series: (1) The Meeting at Yahagi: The Beginnings of the Jorurijunidan Story (Yahagi no Shuku Jorurijunidan no Hajime); (2) Ushiwakamaru practising swordsmanship at Sojogatani (ŌMM 1998, no.256); (3) Ushiwakamaru's encounter with Benkei on Gojo Bridge (Matsuki 1924, no.93); and (4) Ise no Saburo swearing an oath of loyalty to Ushiwakamaru (Kanagawa Prefectural Museum of Cultural History). Kiichi Hōgen [鬼一法眼] is a legendary monk and warrior who trained Ushiwakamaru (young Minamoto no Yoshitsune) in swordsmanship, tactics, and magic.Another print (Ushiwakamaru's encounter with Benkei on Gojo Bridge) from this series is in the collection of the Art Institute of Chicago under the title Killing One Thousand People at Gojo Bridge (Gojo no hashi sennin kiri).
Rupert Faulkner (2001)
Reference: (1) Rupert Faulkner. Hiroshige Fan Prints / Victoria and Albert Museum, Far Eastern Series. — London: V&A Publications; NY: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 2001. (2) Christophe Marquet. Hiroshige: Les éventails d'Edo / Estampes de la collection Georges Leskowicz. — Paris: In fine, 2022. [Thanks to Horst Graebner].
AIC Reference Number 1925.3802
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NEWArtist: Utagawa Hiroshige [歌川 広重] a.k.a. Andō Hiroshige [安藤 広重] (Japanese, 1797 – 1858) Signed: Hiroshige ga (廣重画), with seal Ichiryūsai (一立齋) Publisher: Anonymous/Unknown Date: Circa 1844–1845 Media: Color woodblock print, fan print (uchiwa-e), 190 × 243 mm Title: View of Lake Kawaguchi in Kai Province (甲斐川口湖水之図, Kai Kawaguchi Kosui no Zu) Series: Untitled series of views of Mount Fuji Provenance: Nelkin Collection The print depicts an expansive view of Lake Kawaguchi (河口湖), one of the Five Lakes of Mount Fuji, located in Kai Province (modern-day Yamanashi Prefecture). Dominating the composition is the majestic silhouette of Mount Fuji, rendered in delicate gradation from grey to white, with snow at the summit. The lower portion of the mountain is softly enveloped in mist, heightening its monumental presence.In the foreground, a steep bank supports two pine trees (松), while the middle ground shows a peaceful lakeside with scattered villages and trees. The upper section of the print fades into a gradient sky of pale green and blue, reinforcing a tranquil atmosphere.
Executed with Hiroshige’s characteristic economy of line and subtle use of colour, the composition makes striking use of negative space and vertical layering. As noted by Faulkner, this design belongs to a rare group of fan prints by Hiroshige that are small in size, square in format, and lack the typical cut-away lower section found in most uchiwa-e. No other prints from this series are known beyond the two recorded examples.
Reference:
Rupert Faulkner, Hiroshige Fan Prints, Victoria and Albert Museum Far Eastern Series. — London: V&A Publications / New York: Harry N. Abrams, Inc., 2001; p. 92, Plate 64.The second print from the series — Plate 65, View of the Sea at Kisarazu in Kazusa Province (Kazusa Kisarazu Kaijō no Zu)
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NEWTitle: Kabuki Actor Ichikawa Sadanji I as Mannenya Kamei Tarō
Artist: Utagawa Kunisada III (Baido Kunimasa) [Japanese, 1848–1920]
Signature: Baidō Kunimasa hitsu (梅堂國政筆)
Actor: Ichikawa Sadanji I (市川左団次, also known as Ichikawa Shōjaku I, Ichikawa Koyone, Ichikawa Tatsuzō) [Japanese, 1842–1904]
Role: Mannenya Kamei Tarō (万年屋家名太郎)
Play: Unidentified
Publisher: Shimōsaya Masukichi (下総屋升吉)
Publisher’s Address: Asakusa, Kurofune-chō (浅草 黒舩)
Date: [明治十三年三月] Meiji 13 (1880), 3rd month
Medium: Uchiwa-e (団扇絵, fan print), ink and colour on paper, 245 × 282 mmThis uchiwa-e (fan print) by Utagawa Kunisada III (also known as Utagawa Kunimasa IV) portrays the kabuki actor Ichikawa Sadanji I in the role of Mannenya Kamei Tarō. The figure is depicted in a dramatic stance, dressed in a striking blue kimono adorned with fish and wave motifs, suggesting a maritime or festival connection. He carries a large basket supported by a fabric strap around his neck, filled with small toy fish attached to sticks, along with round objects that could be festival sweets or miniature decorations. He holds one of these toy fish-on-a-stick items in his right hand, possibly demonstrating it as part of a vendor's performance.
The background is a bold, deep red, contrasting with the detailed rendering of the actor’s expression and costume. The print was published in 1897 (Meiji 30) by Shimōsaya Masukichi, a publisher based in Asakusa, Kurofune-chō. Though the exact play remains unidentified, the composition captures a moment from a kabuki performance where street vendors and festival sellers were often featured as comic or supporting characters in Edo-period narratives.
This work exemplifies the continuation of traditional kabuki actor portraiture into the Meiji period, reflecting both theatrical culture and popular printmaking traditions at the time.
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NEWArtist: Utagawa Kunisada [歌川 国貞], a.k.a. Utagawa Toyokuni III [三代 歌川 豊国] (Japanese, 1786 – 1865) Signed: Toyokuni ga (豊國画) in a yellow toshidama cartouche Censor seal: Fuku (福) & Muramatsu (村松) Date seal: 1853 — Kaei 6 (丑, Year of the Ox), 2nd month Publisher: Ibaya Senzaburō [伊場屋仙三郎] (Japanese, fl. c. 1815 – 1869), san (三) in a circle Block carver: Yokokawa Takejirō [横川竹二郎] (Japanese, fl. 1845 – 1863); Seal: hori Take (彫竹) Media: Aiban yoko-e uchiwa-e (団扇絵), color woodblock print, 214 x 295 mm A half-length portrait of a woman in a three-quarter view facing left. She holds an almost full sake cup—with three blue toshidamas—in her left hand and a shamisen plectrum (bachi, 撥) in her right. Resting on her lap, partially visible in the lower part of the print, is a shamisen (三味線). Her black hair is styled in an elaborate updo, adorned with gilt hairpins (簪, kanzashi), a comb, and a blue ribbon. She wears a blue outer kimono featuring a chrysanthemum diaper pattern (青海波, seigaiha) with black shippō (七宝) roundels, a red under-kimono, and a blue latticed collar. The obi (帯) is purple, decorated with green-and-blue dragons and waves over a sayagata (紗綾形) lattice pattern. The background features a hemp-leaf geometric pattern (麻の葉, asanoha) transitioning from black to crimson in a gradient, with a mist-like effect at face level. A round red cartouche in the upper right contains the title "The six days [of the week], the 5th day" (Roku hisei — butsumetsu, 六陽盛 物(ぶつ)愛(めつ)). The artist’s signature (豊國画, Toyokuni ga) appears in a yellow toshidama cartouche in the lower left, accompanied by the publisher’s and censor seals, as well as the block carver’s seal (彫竹, hori Take). There has been extensive discussion regarding the meaning of the title in the red round cartouche, which reads 六曜盛物愛. Breaking Down the Inscription: The first two characters, 六曜 (Rokuyō), refer to the six-day Buddhist calendar cycle, which determines lucky and unlucky days. This system became widely used in the late Edo and Meiji periods. The six days are:- 先勝 (Senshō) – Lucky in the morning
- 友引 (Tomobiki) – "Pulling a friend" (good for social matters)
- 先負 (Sakimake) – Lucky in the afternoon
- 仏滅 (Butsumetsu) – The most unlucky day
- 大安 (Taian) – The most lucky day
- 赤口 (Shakkō) – Bad luck
Taian (大安) – The most lucky day Senshō (先勝) – Lucky in the morning -
NEWArtist: Utagawa Kunisada [歌川 国貞], a.k.a. Utagawa Toyokuni III [三代 歌川 豊国] (Japanese, 1786 – 1865). Signed: Kōchōrō Kunisada ga [香朝楼國貞画] in a red roundel with winged insects. Date: 1834 — Tenpō 5 (午, Year of the Horse), plus Approved (kiwame, 極) Publisher: Iseya Ichiemon [伊勢屋市右衛門] (Japanese, fl. c. 1820s – 1860s), seal tsuji (辻) Media: Aiban yoko-e uchiwa-e (団扇絵), color woodblock print, 225 x 280 mm. The Wikipedia article on Kyokusui no Utage states: "A winding stream party (Chinese: 流觴曲水/曲水流觴; pinyin: liúshāngqūshuǐ) is an old Chinese custom in which the participants wait by a winding stream and compose poems before their cups full of rice wine float down to reach them. [...] It was also adopted by the Japanese and was called Kyokusui-no-en." According to Horst Graebner: However, the Japanese article provides different transliterations:きょくすいのうたげ（えん) kyokusui no utage (en) or ごくすいのうたげ（えん） gokusui no utage (en). This indicates that both kyokusui and gokusui may be acceptable readings for the term 曲水 (winding water), though kyokusui appears to be the more commonly used form.A half-length portrait of a woman in a three-quarter view facing left. She holds a paper scroll with the saaya pattern along the edges in both hands. Her black hair is styled in an elaborate updo with a gilt hairpin and a comb. She wears a multi-layered kimono featuring blue clematis (鉄線, tessen) on a brown outer garment and white plum blossoms on a red collar. The green and brown checkered obi has gilt flowers and tendrils brocade. The background is deep blue with two red circular cartouches—the left containing a peony, the right featuring winged insects alongside the artist's signature. A third cartouche, shaped like a red lacquer sake cup, bears gold lettering reading Bijin kyokusui no utage (en) [美人曲水宴].
Provenance: René Scholten (Dutch, 1943 – 2001)
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NEWArtist: Utagawa Kunisada [歌川 国貞], a.k.a. Utagawa Toyokuni III [三代 歌川 豊国] (Japanese, 1786 – 1865). Signed: Kōchōrō Kunisada ga [香朝楼國貞画]Date: 1832 — Tenpō 3 (辰, Year of the Dragon), plus Approved (kiwame, 極).
Publisher: Ebiya Rinnosuke [海老屋林之助] (Japanese, c. 1832–1895), seal 'to' (ト) Marks: 07-021 | 040a; a.k.a. Ueki Rinnosuke [植木林之助], seal name: 海老林 (Ebirin)
Media: Aiban yoko-e uchiwa-e (団扇絵), color woodblock print, 222 x 285 mm.
A half-length portrait of a woman in a three-quarter view facing slightly left. She is pruning a flowering plum branch (梅, ume) for an ikebana (生け花) arrangement, holding a branch in her left hand and scissors in her right. Her black hair is styled in an elaborate updo with a gilt hairpin (簪, kanzashi) and a red ribbon. She wears a multi-layered kimono: a striped outer garment with white igeta kamon (井桁, well crib pattern), a black kawari-eri (変り衿) collar decorated with flying birds and stylized golden waves, and a red and green under-kimono with a blue-and-white patterned collar. The background features a wooden house with blue-tiled roofs overlooking a landscape with a winding stream, pines, and distant hills. The artist's signature, censor seal, date seal, and publisher's seal are placed in the lower left.The seller, however, citing Ukiyoe Bijin to Tokaidō. Japan Ukiyo-e Association, 1987) no. 68, states that: The woman wearing a blue kosode, a black hood, and walking in the snow can be identified as Osono from the drama Chūshingura, a popular play recounting the story of the Forty-Seven Rōnin. Osono is the wife of the rōnin's arms supplier, who reluctantly expelled her from their home for fear that she might be drawn into the conspiracy. [La femme portant un kosode bleu, une capuche noire et marchant dans la neige est identifiable à Osono du drame Chushingura, pièce populaire reprenant l'histoire des quarante-sept ronin, Osono est l'épouse du fournisseur d'armes des ronin, qui l'a chassée à contrecœur de chez lui de crainte qu'elle ne soit entraînée dans le complot.]
Provenance: René Scholten (Dutch, 1943 – 2001)
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NEWArtist: Utagawa Kunisada [歌川 国貞], a.k.a. Utagawa Toyokuni III [三代 歌川 豊国] (Japanese, 1786 – 1865). Signed: Kōchōrō Kunisada ga [香朝楼國貞画] in a yellow cartouche Date and Censor Seals: 1832 — Tenpō 3 (辰, Year of the Dragon), plus Approved (kiwame, 極) Publisher: Enshūya Matabei [遠州屋又兵衛] (Japanese, fl. c. 1768 – 1881); seal (ト) under the roof Media: Aiban yoko-e uchiwa-e (団扇絵), color woodblock print, 225 x 285 mm. The print depicts a bijin (beautiful woman) holding a paper lantern (chōchin, 提灯) with the kanji 獅子 ("Lion," shishi/jishi) written in bold black strokes. She is shown in a three-quarter view, turning her head to the left, her gaze directed towards the lantern. Her red and blue checkered over-garment adorned with sickle-shaped (鎌, kama) kamon and other ideograms. A red under-kimono is decorated with peonies (botan, 牡丹) and bats (kōmori, 蝙蝠)—symbols of prosperity and good fortune. A black collar with a red accent adds contrast to her attire. Her hair is styled with only a headband, and her teeth are not blackened. The background features a gradient transitioning from green to orange, then to teal, from bottom to top. On the left, swallows (tsubame, 燕) fly upwards, while on the right, blue geese (gan, 雁) descend, creating a balanced movement across the composition.Provenance: René Scholten (Dutch, 1943 – 2001)
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NEWArtist: Utagawa Kunisada [歌川 国貞], a.k.a. Utagawa Toyokuni III [三代 歌川 豊国] (Japanese, 1786 – 1865). Signed: Gototei Kunisada ga (五渡亭國貞画) Date and Censor Seal: 1830 / Aratame seal (改) plus (tora, 寅) = Year of the Tiger, Bunsei 13 (文政十三年) Publisher: Ibaya Senzaburō [伊場屋仙三郎] (Japanese, fl. c. 1815 – 1869); seal: san (三) in a circle. Additional publisher red stamp in the form of a double gourd. Media: Aiban yoko-e uchiwa-e (団扇絵), color woodblock print, 228 x 266 mm.Actor: Bandō Minosuke II [坂東蓑助] (Japanese, 1802 – 1863); other names: Morita Kan'ya XI, Bandô Mitsugorō IV.
Role: Momonoi Wakasanosuke (桃の井わかさ之助)
Play: Kanadehon Chūshingura, performed at Ichimura-za in the 4th lunar month of 1830
This uchiwa-e (団扇絵, fan print) by Utagawa Kunisada (歌川国貞), also known as Toyokuni III (三代歌川豊国), depicts the actor Bandō Minosuke II (坂東蓑助) in the role of Momonoi Wakasanosuke (桃の井若狭之助) from Kanadehon Chūshingura (仮名手本忠臣蔵), performed at Ichimura-za in the fourth lunar month of 1830 (Bunsei 13, Year of the Tiger, 文政十三年寅). The actor is shown in a half-length portrait, three-quarter view, facing right, with his hand lifting the hilt of his sword (刀, katana), signalling a moment of restrained fury. His narrowed eyes and pursed lips suggest inner turmoil, reflecting Wakasanosuke’s frustration with Kō no Moronao in Act 1 of the play. He wears a black kimono richly decorated with chrysanthemums (菊, kiku) over a lattice motif. On his sleeve, a heraldic crest (家紋, kamon) features a standing mulberry leaf (梶の葉, kaji no ha) enclosed in an octagon, the emblem of Tsuruoka Hachiman Shrine in Kamakura, where his historical counterpart, Wakisaka Yasumasa, had his residence. Beneath the black outer garment, he wears a red under-kimono with floral designs and a blue collar. In his right hand, he grips the hilt of his sword, adorned with gold menuki. A red cartouche framed with golden mulberry leaves in the upper left contains the inscription — right: Momonoi Wakasanosuke (桃の井わかさ之助), left: Bandō Minosuke (坂東蓑助). -
NEWArtist: Utagawa Toyokuni III (歌川豊国, 1786–1865)
Signed: 豊国 (Toyokuni) [Toshidama cartouche, with "画" (ga) absent after repair]
Publisher: Ibaya Senzaburō (伊場屋仙三郎)
Censor Seals: 福・村松 (Fuku, Muramatsu) – 1849–1851
Block Carver: Yokokawa Takejirō (横川竹二郎, fl. 1845–1863) [彫竹 (Hori Take) seal trimmed away]
Media: Uchiwa-e (fan print), color woodblock print, 213 × 265 mmTitle: [Unclear, in red cartouche]
Half-length portrait of a woman, turned to the left, wearing an outer garment with olive, brown, and yellow stripes. The inner kimono collar features a wisteria (fuji 藤) pattern, and her obi is decorated with scalloped roundels. She holds an object under her arm, wrapped in yellow and purple covers. Behind her, a possible folding fan adorned with chrysanthemums is visible. A container with flowing water and pink and white flowers, possibly daisies, is also present.
Her hair is styled traditionally, secured with a blue ribbon and an ornamental hairpin. The censor seals are faint but identifiable to the right of the title cartouche. The print has been heavily over-trimmed on the left side, cutting into the carver’s seal. A repair in the bottom left corner has removed the "画" (ga) character from the toshidama cartouche containing the artist’s signature.
Full image:
