Another fan print from the same series by Kunisada: {あつらへおり・弁慶好) Atsurae ori - Benkei gonomi
-
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 red toshidama cartouche Censor seal: Fuku (福) & Muramatsu (村松), sealed together from 3/1849 to 11/1851 Publisher: Ibaya Senzaburō [伊場屋仙三郎] (Japanese, fl. c. 1815 – 1869), san (三) in a circle, in a 'boar eye' shape Media: Aiban yoko-e uchiwa-e (団扇絵), color woodblock print, 222 x 285 mm Series: Benkei-chequered fabrics woven to order (Atsuraeori Benkei Konomi, 誂織弁慶好) or Fabric woven in Benkei taste (atsurae ori benkei gonomi, 誂織弁慶好) A bijin (美人, beautiful woman) is depicted in a refined setting, holding an unadorned uchiwa (団扇, flat fan) in her left hand while delicately raising a writing brush (筆, fude) in her right, "poised as if she is about to write something, perhaps on the fan" (LIB-1212.2017. Robert Schaap, Kunisada: Imaging Drama and Beauty). Her attire is elaborate, featuring a kimono (着物) with bold purple curves complemented by an underlayer with red geometric motifs. The background is dominated by a chequered fabric pattern, referencing the Benkei-checkered cloth (弁慶縞, Benkei-jima), traditionally associated with the twelfth-century warrior monk Musashibō Benkei (武蔵坊弁慶). This pattern holds historical and cultural significance, often symbolizing strength and resilience. The woman's elaborate hairstyle (日本髪, nihongami) is adorned with large decorative hairpins (簪, kanzashi), further emphasizing her status and elegance. The print belongs to a series that incorporates this distinctive checkered motif, connecting it to the visual traditions established by Kunisada (国貞) and his contemporary Utagawa Kuniyoshi (歌川国芳), who also produced a series of beauties wearing Benkei-checkered kimono, such as Women in Benkei-Checkered Cloth (島揃女弁慶, Shimazōroi onna Benkei, c. 1844).Reference: Robert Schaap. Kunisada: Imaging Drama and Beauty / Introduction by Sebastian Izzard, contributions by Paul Griffith and Henk. J. Herwig. — Leiden: Hotei Publishing, ©2016, p. 68, pl. 42. [With special thanks to Horst Graebner of Kunisada Project]. -
NEWArtist: Utagawa Kuniyoshi [歌川 國芳] (Japanese, 1798 – 1861) Signature: Kuniyoshi ga [国芳画] with a paulownia seal. Publisher: Ibaya Senzaburō [伊場屋仙三郎] (Japanese, c. 1815 – 1869). Date seal: (寅西) Year of the Tiger plus (改) Aratame — 4th month, Kaei 7 = 4/1854 Media: Aiban yoko-e uchiwa-e (団扇絵), color woodblock print, 229 x 289 mm Description by Kunisada Project: Two Ise Ondo dancers in identical costumes on a terrace with folding fans. The print depicts two Ise Ondo dancers performing on a terrace, wearing matching costumes and holding folding fans (sensu, 扇子). Their layered kimonos are grey, red, and black, featuring a wave motif (seigaiha, 青海波) on the black fabric and large, bold kanji characters on the grey fabric—静 (shizu, "calm, quiet") and 連 (ren, "group, association, troupe"). Their obi (sashes) are red, secured with a yellow obi-jime (cord). They dance with open folding fans decorated with yellow clouds and Genji-mon (源氏紋). Their distinctive costume elements and synchronized movement identify them as Ise Ondo performers, a dance tradition rooted in festival celebrations and kabuki adaptations. The kanji 静 (shizu) references Shizuka Gozen (静御前), a legendary shirabyōshi dancer linked to the Minamoto clan, further reinforcing the connection to classical dance heritage. The dancers’ detailed hair ornaments (kanzashi, 簪) and layered clothing emphasize their elegance and status as skilled performers. The background transitions from green at the bottom to deep blue at the top, with three large paper lanterns hanging above, enhancing the festive setting. -
NEWArtist: Utagawa Sadahide [歌川貞秀] or Gountei Sadahide [五雲亭貞秀] (Japanese, 1807 – c. 1879) Signed: Gountei Sadahide ga [五雲亭貞秀画] in a beige 'bark' cartouche Publisher: Tsuruya Kiemon (鶴屋喜右衛門) (enterprise, c. 1620 – 1898); Marks 22-066 | 553m Date: early 1840s – no date seal, no censor seal Media: Aiban yoko-e uchiwa-e (団扇絵), color woodblock print, 233 x 304 mm The composition is set against a coastal landscape, featuring a large pine tree and the two maidens carrying brine buckets on shoulder yokes, dressed in layered red and patterned robes. The background includes stylized waves, flying plovers, two sailing vessels, and a pink-hued sky. Matsukaze and Murasame were sisters who lived as brine-gatherers along the shores of Suma Bay. Their story is immortalized in the Noh play Matsukaze (松風):The exiled nobleman Ariwara no Yukihira (在原行平) stayed in Suma and fell in love with them. After his departure, the sisters mourned his absence, with Matsukaze in particular losing herself in longing and madness. The pine tree (松, matsu) symbolizes her unfulfilled love, as matsu also means "to wait" in Japanese.
Suma Bay (須磨浦, Suma-ura) is a coastal area in Kobe, Hyōgo Prefecture, Japan, located along the Seto Inland Sea (瀬戸内海, Seto Naikai). It is historically significant and a prominent setting in classical Japanese literature, particularly in The Tale of Genji and The Tale of the Heike. -
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)
-
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. -
NEWArtist: Utagawa Kuniyoshi (歌川国芳) (1797–1861) Signed: Ichiyūsai Kuniyoshi ga (一勇齋國芳画) with kiri seal Publisher: Ibaya Senzaburō [伊場屋仙三郎] (Japanese, fl. c. 1815 – 1869); seal san (三) in a circle Censor Seal: aratame (改) Date Seal: tatsu, ni (辰 弍) — 2nd month of the Year of the Dragon, Ansei 3 (2/1856) Block Carver: Yokokawa Takejirō (横川竹二郎) (fl. 1845–1863); seal: 彫竹 (hori Take) Media: Rigid fan print (Aiban Yoko-e Uchiwa-e, 合判横絵 団扇絵), 227 × 286 mm Series: Images of Sansen (三川圖會, Sansen zue), or The Three Rivers Illustrated The print depicts a summer scene along Tatekawa, or Takegawa (竪川), a canal running east-west along the east bank of the Sumida River (隅田川) in Edo (Tokyo). In the background, boats are seen floating on the Sumida River, likely engaged in yūsuzumi (夕涼み, evening cool-off), a popular summer pastime during the Edo period. In the foreground, a woman dressed in a deep blue kimono with red underlayers and a red obi sits inside a riverside establishment. A towel rests on her arms as she reaches for a sliced watermelon. Her hair is styled with decorative hairpins, a comb, and a red ribbon. She is positioned against a bamboo railing that opens onto the river, framing the distant bridge and water traffic. Inscription in the red cartouche to the left of the woman's head: Sansen zue, Tate kawa; 三川圖會 竪川 [reformed writing: 三川図会] [furigana: さんせん づゑ] The print belongs to the series Images of Sansen (三川圖會, Sansen zue), which depicts scenes along three Edo waterways: Fukagawa (深川), Tatekawa (竪川), and Miyatogawa (宮戸川) (see Kuniyoshi Project):"This series of uchiwa (non-folding fan prints) is listed in Kuniyoshi by Basil William Robinson (Victoria and Albert Museum, London, 1961) as number 99". On p. 45 it is listed as: Sansen dzuye (Tategawa). The Three Rivers Illustrated. Women's heads. Fan Prints. (3)
[Thanks to Horst Graebner of Kunisada Project]
Fukagawa (深川); 1st month of 1856
Miyatogawa (宮戸川) ; 2nd month of 1856
-
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 red toshidama cartouche Censor seal: Kinugasa (衣笠) & Murata (村田), sealed together from 1/1851 to 1/1852 Publisher: Iseya Sōemon [伊勢屋惣右衛門] (Japanese, 1776 – 1862); seal: hanmoto ue (板元上) Media: Aiban yoko-e uchiwa-e (団扇絵), color woodblock print, 229 x 296 mm No date seal. Title (in red cartouche, top right: Mei yoroko [no] awase; 名喜之合 / 名喜合 — possible translations: Facing of Famous Pleasure (as per Horst Graebner), or Gathering of Famous Pleasures, or Assembly of Celebrated Joys.A woman is depicted in half-length, facing right, with her mouth modestly covered by her raised right sleeve. She wears a deep purple kimono decorated with spiderwebs and large butterflies—some rendered in fine detail, while others appear worn or damaged, with yellow wings mottled by black spots. A red under-kimono is visible beneath, along with a blue collar featuring a repeating saya-gata (紗綾形) lattice pattern.
Scrolls tied with blue ribbon are tucked beneath her left arm. Her red obi is adorned with gold cloud motifs and blue floral designs, possibly peonies. Her hair is styled in the taka-shimada fashion and is fastened with a simple white cord (shiro ito), without kanzashi or additional ornamentation. Behind her is a low bamboo fence. The background presents large blooming chrysanthemums (菊, kiku) and what may be roses or peonies, set against a sky that transitions in gradient from blue to purple.
A companion uchiwa-e print with the same title, catalogued by the Kunisada Project and depicting a kabuki actor Ichikawa Danjūrō VIII [市川団十郎] (Japanese, 1823 – 1854), was likely intended to serve as the reverse side of the present print when mounted as a complete fan.
[With special thanks to Horst Graebner of Kunisada Project].
Provenance: René Scholten (Dutch, 1943 – 2001) -
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: Color woodblock print, fan print (chuban uchiwa-e), 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)
-
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.
-
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 (chuban 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:
[LIB-3429.2025] Christie’s, New York: Japanese Art, Thursday 24 April 1997 / Sales Catalogue; p. 144, lot 288.
[LIB-1344.2017] 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 at Rupert Faulkner — Plate 65, View of the Sea at Kisarazu in Kazusa Province (Kazusa Kisarazu Kaijō no Zu)
-
NEWArtist: Utagawa Kuniyoshi (歌川国芳) (1797–1861) Signature: Ichiyûsai Kuniyoshi ga (一勇斎 國芳 画) in a red double gourd cartouche with kiri seal Publisher: Ibaya Kyūbei [伊場屋久兵衛] (enterprise, op. c. 1804-69); seal: hanmoto, Kyū (板元, 久) Censors: Mera & Murata, 2/1847 – 11/1850; Kōka 4 (弘化四年) – Kaei 3 (嘉永三年) Media: Rigid fan print (Aiban Yoko-e Uchiwa-e, 合判横絵 団扇絵), 237 x 303 mm Series: Aisho kagami [逢性鏡] — translated as Perfect Matches or Mirror of Compatibility or Meeting in a Looking Glass (Kuniyoshi Project) A bijin (beautiful woman) is shown in half-length, turned three-quarter to the left, shielding her forehead with her right hand while her left rests on her knee. She wears an over-robe with vertical stripes in shades of blue and grey, trimmed with a purple collar, and a red under-kimono featuring a saya-gata (紗綾形) lattice and floral design on the collar. Her voluminous shimada hairstyle is tied with a red ribbon and adorned with two long ornamental hairpins (kanzashi). She smiles while reading a letter that lies open in her lap. The background is filled with stylized swirling waves and white koi fish (carp). In the upper left, a circular inset resembling a mirror or medallion shows a kabuki actor (likely Sawamura Sōjūrō V) wearing a white cloth headdress and a purple robe decorated with a 井 (i) crest—representing a 'well frame' (i-zutsu or i-geta) on the shoulders. He is identified as Gonpachi (権八). The mirrored format reflects the series theme: imagined romantic compatibility between Edo beauties and kabuki actors. A red cartouche on the right reads: 逢性鏡 (Aishō kagami) – Mirror of Compatibility. Provenance: Nelkin Collection Reference: [LIB-3428.2025] Christie’s, New York: Japanese Prints, Paintings, and Screens, Monday, 24 November 1997 / Sales Catalogue; p. 64, lot. 135....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...
