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NEWArtist: Suzuki Harunobu (Japanese, c. 1725–1770) – 鈴木 春信 Signed: Unsigned Date: c. 1770 Media: Woodblock print (nishiki-e 錦絵); ink and colour on paper; horizontal chūban (中判横絵), 194 × 264 mm A couple engages in intercourse on an open veranda during winter. The man lifts the woman's robe to expose her lower body while leaning in from behind. Both wear layered kimono in muted tones. Snow-covered rooftops, boats, and distant mountains extend into the background. Long icicles hang from the veranda’s roof, framing the scene. A gnarled, snow-laden tree rises in the foreground, emphasizing the seasonal setting.
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NEWArtist: Attributed to Katsukawa Shunshō [勝川春章] (Japanese, 1726–1792) or, rarely, to Chōbunsai Eishi [鳥文斎 栄之] (Japanese, 1756–1829) Publisher: Unknown Date: 1788 (Tenmei 8) Media: Woodblock print (nishiki-e 錦絵); ink and color on paper; Horizontal ōban, 226 x 316 mm Title: Couple next to a Brazier, from the series Fun with Flowers (Hana no ikkyō warai, 華の一興笑) Reference: MBA Boston, accession number RES.09.320.3 A man and a woman are engaged in intercourse in a room next to a round brazier with chopsticks. The woman lies beneath her lover, her head thrown back, her expression dreamy; a comb and hairpin rest under her head beside the pillow. Her outer robe is pushed aside, exposing her breasts and crotch. The man, dressed in a grey kimono, holds one of her legs aloft as he penetrates her. Their bodies are entangled amid soft bedding and garments in subdued colours.
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NEW
Artist: Kitagawa Utamaro (喜多川歌麿, c. 1753–1806)
Title of Series: Negai no itoguchi (ねがいの糸口, Threads Leading to Desire, or The Prelude to Desire) Date: 1799 (Kansei 11) Publisher: Unknown Media: Horizontal ōban (大判横絵), full-colour woodblock prints (nishiki-e. 錦絵) Four sheets from a thirteen-print album by Utamaro, the second of his three great shunga sets. These works show a mature and voluptuous style following his earlier Utamakura (Poem of the Pillow, 1788), and preceding Ehon Komachi-biki (1802). Each scene is accompanied by erotic dialogue in flowing calligraphy. Sheet 3: 253 × 379 mm A woman straddles her partner with one leg raised as he leans forward to embrace her. Her lifted kimono reveals her lower body; her lover wears a purple-striped outer robe and black obi. The yellow and green bedding lies aside. A black candlestick dissects the space. Sheet 8: 249 × 365 mm"Here a widow secretly meets her married lover. The importance of the eyes in Utamaro's art is clearly shown: the woman twists round to catch the man's gaze as he uses his fingers to stimulate her. She lifts her hand to her mouth in surprise at his bold move and raises her eyebrows in anticipation. He tries to engage in some humorous banter about her 'pussy', but she tells him to stop joking and to 'get started quickly'. She wonders aloud what he sees in her when he already has a chic wife', although she herself is dressed in a fashionable striped robe".
Sheet 10: 255 × 384 mm A woman leans forward, trying to reach her partner’s toes with her lips. Her hips are raised as her partner enters her from below. He is depicted with a relaxed expression, one of his legs stretched forward, his robe draped loosely over his shoulders. Their outer robes lie to the right.This scene depicts a married couple engaged in intimacy. The husband appears overly eager, hastily attempting to arouse his wife, while she responds with calm composure, saying something like, “Take it easy—you’ll get there.” As he lifts her leg and leans in, she turns her face toward him, her expression serene. The artist highlights the contrast between the man's flushed skin and the soft, flowing garments, rendering even the subtlest movements of the woman’s body with striking sensitivity.
アレサ そこじゃやわえな とこやかいへやる かんぞーしんるよ アレサやりしょる Aresa
soko ja yawae na
tokoyakai e yaru
kanzō shinru yo
Aresa yari-shoruHey!
That spot’s too soft—
Move it over gently.
You’re pressing the tissue too hard.
Hey, you’re doing it again... -
NEWArtist: Suzuki Harunobu [鈴木春信] (Japanese, c. 1725–1770) Signed: Harunobu ga 春信画 (on the folding screen) Publisher: Possibly Ezakiya Kichibei (江崎屋吉兵衛, c. 1773–1852); seal on the man’s sleeve; Marks 08-001 | 058 Date: c. 1769–70 (Meiwa 6–7) Media: Woodblock print (nishiki-e, 錦絵); ink and colour on paper; Horizontal chūban (中判横絵), 209 × 280 mm Catalogue raisonné: [LIB-1552.2018] David Waterhouse, The Harunobu Decade: A Catalogue of Woodcuts by Suzuki Harunobu and His Followers in the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, 2 vols. — Leiden: Hotei Publishing, 2013. Image no. 461 in vol. 2; text on p. 268 in vol. 1. Reference: MFA Accession Number: 21.4643: Courtesan Blowing Smoke in Man's Face Title: Courtesan and Client on a Triple Mattress (mitsu futon) [三つ蒲団の上の遊女と客]. A courtesan and her client recline in an intimate pose on a triple-layered mattress (mitsu futon, 三つ蒲団) within a screened interior. The woman mischievously blows smoke into the man’s eye while he reaches under her kimono. She wears an elaborately layered robe and green sash and holds a long smoking pipe (kiseru, 煙管), suggesting playful erotic teasing. The room is furnished with a tray holding smoking implements, a lacquer box, and folded tissue paper. Behind the couple lies a disordered tangle of bedding, while the folding screen in the background features a painted bamboo motif, suggesting a private, secluded setting. This print is one of several known states of the composition. According to David Waterhouse, this is likely the third state, following earlier versions with a more elaborate treatment of the figures' sleeves and possibly an original, more explicit shunga edition. The composition may have been inspired by a similar pose in Ishikawa Toyonobu’s Iro tsugan (色通), an erotic picture album.
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NEWArtist: Isoda Koryūsai [礒田湖龍斎] (Japanese, 1735–1790) Series: Ketsudai Kumimono I (欠題組物 I, “Untitled Set I”) Date: c. 1775–1776 (An’ei 5) Format: Yoko-ōban (横大判), deluxe horizontal print, likely issued as a loose sheet or folded album page; 240 × 373 mm (backed) Medium: Woodblock print (nishiki-e), ink and colour on paper Publisher: Unknown A young couple embraces on a wooden veranda, surrounded by blossoming chrysanthemums. The male figure is depicted as a wakashu (若衆), identifiable by his partially shaved head and forward lock (maegami, 前髪), indicating adolescent status. He is dressed in a yellow-and-green checked haori, and presses closely against the woman, whose body twists toward him with her kimono slipping open. Their union is framed by the elegant autumn flora, rendered in soft orange, white, and ochre tones, with chrysanthemums signifying both seasonal beauty and erotic symbolism. A folding screen decorated with stylized waves anchors the interior, while the open terrace and garden suggest intimacy on the edge of exposure. This sheet is from Ketsudai Kumimono I, one of Isoda Koryūsai’s few large-format erotic sets, comprising twelve known scenes corresponding to the twelve months. The refined palette and quiet sensuality mark this as a transitional work in Koryūsai’s style, moving beyond Harunobu’s lyricism toward a more grounded erotic realism. Dialogue:
— She: 「アレサ 人かくるはな あつちでさ」 Aresa, hito ga kuru wa na. Acchi de sa. “Hey—someone’s coming, let’s go over there.”
— He:「ぢきにしまう そりゃ/\ いくぞ」 Jiki ni shimau. Sorya, sorya, iku zo. “It’ll be over soon—alright, alright, I’m going in!”
…But by the time she had realized what was happening, it was too late for him to stop. Reference: Hayakawa Monta, Shirakura Yoshihiko. Shunga: Japanese Erotic Art. — Tokyo: PIE Books, 2009, pl. 58. [LIB-3440.2025] -
NEW
Artist: Kitagawa Utamaro (喜多川歌麿, c. 1753–1806)
Title: Ehon Koi no Onamaki (絵本恋の御巻)
Date: 1799 (Kansei 11)
Media: Woodblock prints (nishiki-e); ink and colour on paper; Medium-format book (chūhon 中本); two book pages joined (186 × 260 mm); backed
Signed: Not signed on image; annotated in brush on the backing by a previous owner as 歌川歌麿筆 (Utagawa Utamaro hitsu)
Reference: Cited in Hayashi Yoshikazu, Kitagawa Utamaro, in Edo Makura-e Shi Shūsei (江戸枕絵師集成), vol. 喜多川歌麿 正, Tankōbon hardcover, Tokyo: 1990 / reissued 1994.
Three double-page compositions from a rare erotic picture book (shunga ehon), attributed to Utamaro. Erotic content involving intimacy in indoor settings, with cursive inscriptions. Elegant settings and accessories, typical of Utamaro’s refined shunga style.
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NEWArtist: Utagawa Toyokuni I [歌川豊国] (Japanese, 1769–1825)
Signed: Toyokuni ga (豊国画)
Publisher: Nishimuraya Yohachi (西村屋与八), firm name Eijudō (永寿堂), active c. 1751–1860. Marks 01-008 | 391a
Censor’s seal: None
Media: Vertical ōban, woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper, 393 × 255 mm
Note: No date seal; unknown performance
Actor:
Matsumoto Kōshirō V (五代目松本幸四郎, 1764–1838); other names: Ichikawa Komazō III, Ichikawa Sumizō I; poetry names: Kinshō, Kinkō; guild: Kōraiya (高麗屋) [not on print]Full-length portrait of a male actor in a dynamic pose, facing left, with both arms raised. He wears a black under-robe with arabesque designs, a purple outer vest with pine motifs, and a red chemise decorated with yellow karakusa patterns. His purple obi is adorned with stylized celestial clouds in the shape of a diamond, representing the family crest (mon) of the Matsumoto lineage. Two other actors in straw hats, dressed in red and yellow, appear on either side of him. The scene is set indoors, with lanterns, curtains, and bamboo blinds in the background.
The central figure is identified as Matsumoto Kōshirō V based on facial features; the name is not inscribed on the print. The performance, year, and role are unknown. It is likely one sheet of a triptych, with this information appearing on the other sheets.
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NEWArtist: Suzuki Harunobu (鈴木春信, c. 1725–1770) Signed: 春信画 (Harunobu ga), on the folding screen Publisher: Not identified Date: c. 1768 Media: Nishiki-e (multi-colored woodblock print), chūban, 200 x 280 mm Interior scene with a couple on a red floor cover. A woman and a wakashu (若衆) — a youth distinguished by his hairstyle and androgynous features — are engaged in sexual intercourse in the missionary position, reclining on a red padded surface. The woman lies on her back, her green kimono open and legs bent in the air, exposing her lower body and revealing a red undergarment beneath. A padded sleeping robe (夜着, yogi) lies pushed aside. The wakashu wears a purple robe with a bamboo-under-snow motif (雪中竹, setchūchiku) and has a comb (櫛, kushi) tucked into his hair — a gesture suggestive of youth or playful intimacy. Behind them stands a folding screen (屏風, byōbu) painted with reeds (葦) and egrets (鷺) along a shoreline. The artist’s signature 春信画 (Harunobu ga) is inscribed on the leftmost panel of the screen. A black lacquered pillow lies near the woman’s head.
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NEWArtist: Isoda Koryūsai (礒田湖龍斎, active c. 1764–1789) Signed: Unsigned Publisher: Not identified Date: c. 1770s Media: Nishiki-e (multi-colored woodblock print), chūban, 193 × 263 mm Outdoor scene with figures inside and beside a palanquin. A couple is engaged in sexual intercourse within a woven-lattice palanquin (乗物, norimono), the woman seated on the man's lap. Her red robe, adorned with white dragonflies, and her obi are pulled up, exposing her lower body; the man, a palanquin bearer wearing a striped purple kimono, also keeps his lower body exposed. The woman leans against a purple traveller’s bag. Outside the palanquin, another palanquin bearer in a striped robe and head covering rushes forward, holding a round paper lantern; his genitals are visible beneath his short garment. His walking stick lies on the ground—items such as a straw hat and a bundle of clothing rest atop the palanquin. Multiple lines of dialogue and verse are inscribed in cursive calligraphy.
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NEWSoftcover, pictorial wrappers, 244 x 294 mm, pp.: [1-4] 5-160. Title-page (red and black): Japanese erotic prints | shunga | by Harunobu and Koryūsai | Inge Klompmakers | {logo} Hotei publishing | Leiden & Boston | 2008 || In this collection: Plate C.5, p. 88. [SVJP-0238.2018] Isoda Koryūsai. A shunga scene with a woman and two male partners, 1770-71.
Contents:
Foreword 1. The birth of shunga Rise of a city culture
The floating world
The Yoshiwara pleasure quarter
17th-century Edo literature
Early erotic images
Formats
Erotic images of the Edo period
2. Shunga: its functions, buyers and opponents Education
Sexual arousal
Superstition
Shunga and the government
3. Iconography Complexity and humour
Symbols and attributes
(Body) language
Homosexuality
Nudity and dress
Fantasy or reality
Interiors within shunga
Voyeurism
4. Harunobu and Koryusai Suzuki Harunobu
Isoda Koryusai
Catalogue Notes to the catalogue Footnotes Glossary Bibliography Acknowledgements -
NEWArtist: Isoda Koryūsai (礒田湖龍斎, active c. 1764–1789) Signed: 湖龍画 (Koryū ga), on the folding screen Publisher: Not identified Date: c. 1770–1771 Media: Nishiki-e (multi-colored woodblock print), chūban, 191 × 256 mm Title: Not titled on print
"A threesome between a woman and two men: a woman lies on top of a young boy and is covered by the large, naked body of an adult man, who at the same time holds the boy's penis. Sexual encounters between more than two people occur frequently in shunga, and Hokusai even designed erotic works in which complete orgies are depicted. A folding screen, placed at the end of the futon and decorated with peonies and butterflies, hides the intimacies from other people who might be in the same room. The screen on the right has the signature Koryū ga on the left panel and there is a tabakobon (煙草盆) on the left of the image". The background wall is decorated with a pattern of fishing nets and flying geese, rendered in gauffrage (blind embossing, 空摺り, karazuri), adding subtle texture to the composition. The inscription to the left of the figures remains undeciphered.
Reference: [LIB-1491.2018] Inge Klompmakers. Japanese erotic prints shunga by Harunobu and Koryūsai. — Leiden and Boston: Hotei publishing, 2008; Plate C.5, p. 88. -
NEWMedia: Ink and light colour on ‘India’ paper, laid down, 246 x 145 mm Artist: Unknown Date: 19th century Provenance: Bérès Collection Depiction of a standing man facing left, holding a blowfish (fugu, 河豚) skewered on a stick. He wears a green patterned kimono, a cloth head wrap (zukin, 頭巾), and wooden clogs (geta, 下駄). His head is slightly turned, and his mouth is open, possibly mid-speech. The brushwork is fluid and confident, with minimal use of colour, primarily green and light flesh tones. The work is executed in the style of the Shijō school (四条派), which developed in Kyoto in the late 18th century and emphasized naturalistic subjects with expressive brushwork. Artists associated with this school include Matsumura Goshun (松村呉春, 1752–1811), Nagasawa Rosetsu (長沢芦雪, 1754–1799), and Maruyama Ōkyo (円山応挙, 1733–1795). This painting likely follows their tradition of sketching everyday figures and animals in a direct, lively manner.
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NEWArtist: Unknown signature Publisher: Izumya (c. 1845-70), seal 申 under roof, unknown, Marks U101 | 02-053 Media: Preparatory drawing (shita-e) for a fan print (uchiwa-e), brush and ink on ‘India’ paper, laid down, 242 x 254 mm Date: Meiji era, after 1889 Inscriptions: Top left: ギヤマンすだれ (giyaman sudare, "glass screen") Top right: 上開ちんし景 (Ue hiraki chinshi kei, "Contemplation view from the top") Three female figures—two courtesans accompanied by a young kamuro—stand on a balustraded rooftop terrace of a tall Western-style building. The setting features hanging lanterns, large windows, and interior decor evoking modern Meiji taste. Visible through the windows is the domed structure of the Yokohama Shiyakusho (横浜市役所), the Yokohama Municipal Office (built in 1889) and topped with a distinctive wind vane. The inscriptions identify architectural features and settings, situating the scene within a high vantage point overlooking the modernized cityscape of Meiji-era Yokohama.
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NEWArtist: Toyohara Kunichika [豊原国周] (Japanese, 1835 – 1900) Media: Preparatory drawing (shita-e) for a fan print (uchiwa-e), brush and ink on 'India' paper, laid down, 238 x 322 mm Date: Late 19th century A samurai, a woman, and a child in a plum orchard, possibly a kabuki scene. The three characters within the fan margins are not yet deciphered.
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NEWTitle-page (in manuscript): Le Petit Chaperon rouge | Interprétation inédite | Dessins | de | Robert Lediable | À Robinson | sous une tonnelle | An 2000 || Format: Box: 235 × 197 mm Boards: 214 × 167 mm Pages: 213 × 168 mm Boards in black goatskin with red edges, traversed by an incised red groove—vertical on the upper cover and horizontal on the lower—within a polished recess. Spine articulated with hinges of varied sizes, alternating black and grey. Free endpapers in black moiré silk, red verso, and the Gérard Nordmann ex-libris bookplate. Blue/cream flyleaves. Three blank leaves to front and three to the rear. Front blue/cream wrapper with embossed floral border and the embossed word ‘CAHIER’, hand-coloured, and ‘DU PETIT CHAPERON ROUGE’ added in manuscript with red India ink, uniformly. 24 leaves of cream paper with embossed border, unpaginated: 2 blank leaves, manuscript half-title and title, 18 leaves of drawings on recto (pencil, pastel, some with ink, unsigned), verso blank, followed by 2 blank leaves. Rear blue/cream wrapper without embossing. All edges gilt. The volume is housed in a matching double-hinged presentation case, opening from both sides like a symmetrical shell, revealing a central recess for the book. Exterior in black sheepskin, with two hinged flaps meeting along a central line outlined in red. Interior flaps lined with faux wood marbled paper; recess shaped to the contour of the book and lined in black velvet. Binding and box designed and executed by G. Claes. The paper used for this edition was likely sourced from a commercially available cahier—the kind often used by girls for diaries or schoolwork—suggesting a deliberately intimate and informal presentation beneath the refined binding. Catalogue Raisonné: Éros invaincu 132; Gérard Nordmann 357 References:
- Éros invaincu: La bibliothèque Gérard Nordmann. — Genève: Fondation Martin Bodmer; Paris: Cercle d’art, 2004. [LIB-2957.2022]
- Bibliothèque érotique: Gérard Nordmann; Livres, manuscrits, dessins, photographies du XVIe au XXe siècle / Catalogues de ventes, première partie. — Paris: Christie’s, 2006. [LIB-2828.2021]
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NEW
Artist: Katsukawa Shunkō I [勝川春好] (Japanese, 1743 – 1812)
Signed: 春好画 (Shunkō ga)
Publisher: Unidentified
Date: 1780 (An'ei 9)
Media: woodblock print on paper, hosoban (細判); 315 × 140 mm
Actor: Ichikawa Monnosuke II (Japanese, 1743 – 1794); other names: Ichikawa Benzō I, Takinaka Hidematsu II, Takinaka Tsuruzō, Shinsha (新車)
Role: Shibaraku [暫]
Provenance: Bérès Collection; Louis Émile Javal (French, 1839 – 1907)
Half-length, frontal portrait, facing slightly left. The actor is shown in the role of Shibaraku (暫), with the characteristic bold red-and-white kumadori makeup and an intense expression. He wears the iconic oversized red costume with white trim, bearing the Ichikawa family crest of three nested squares (三枡, mimasu), symbolizing rice measures. His wig features large wings and flared sidelocks in the aragoto style. The inscription 新車 (Shinsha) appears in the upper left, a rare haimyō used by Monnosuke II.MET JP1479: Ichikawa Monnosuke II in a Shibaraku Performance by Katsukawa Shunkō, 1780.
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NEWArtist: Utagawa Kunisada II [歌川国貞] Japanese, 1823 – 1880) a.k.a. Toyokuni IV Signature: Toyokuni hitsu (豊國筆) Media: Preparatory drawing (shita-e) for a fan print (uchiwa-e), brush and ink with light pigment on 'india' paper, unbacked, 252 x 310 mm Date: c. 1870 Provenance: stamp of the Bérès Collection. Actor: Kawarasaki Gonjūrō I [河原崎權十郎] (Japanese, 1838 – 1903); other names: Ichikawa Danjūrō IX [市川団十郎], Kawarasaki Sanshō, Kawarasaki Gonnosuke VII, Kawarasaki Chōjūrō III. Two figures appear within a geometrically patterned background: a geisha or courtesan adjusts a hairpin while conversing with a man in plain robes, who holds a lantern inscribed 寳結 (Hōmusubi or Takaramusubi), likely a poetic or theatrical name. According to Horst Graebner, the male figure is Kawarasaki Gonjūrō I (1838–1903), identified by facial likeness, though not named on the sheet.
A red ink inscription at the upper right is treated as illegible. Another print from this series [SVJP-0178.2014]. -
NEWArtist: Utagawa Hiroshige III [三代目 歌川 広重] (Japanese, 1842/3 – 1894); civil name: 安藤徳兵衛 (Andō Tokubei), address: 深川平野町三丁目 (Fukagawa, Hiranochō 3-chōme) Signed: Hiroshige ga (廣重画) Publisher: Ebiya Rinnosuke [海老屋林之助] (Japanese, fl. c. 1832–1895); seal Ueki Rinnosuke [植木林之助], shop name 大坂屋 (Ōsakaya), address: 日本橋区江戸町二丁目 (Nihonbashi-ku, Edomachi 2-chōme) Date: Unreadable Meiji seal, likely late 1870s. Media: Woodblock colour print, chūban uchiwa-e (fan print), 223 x 245 mm Title: 東京名所 よし原 大門 体のあの さかり (Tokyo meisho Yoshiwara Ōmon tai no ano sakari; Famous Places of Tokyo: The Great Gate of Yoshiwara in Full Bloom) Street view, looking inward from the lower edge. The scene shows the Ōmon (Great Gate) of Yoshiwara, the licensed pleasure district of Edo and later Tokyo, during the Meiji period. At left, cherry trees bloom behind wooden fences, with lanterns set out for evening illumination. A woman and child in seasonal kimono walk past while a rickshaw carries a passenger toward the inner quarters. At right, shops line the street under noren curtains. One shop attendant, a woman in a purple kōshi (格子, checkered) kimono, leans forward to speak with a customer. The shop's decorative wall hangings depict Mount Fuji and cherry blossoms. In the distance, a stone pedestal with a gas lamp stands at the centre, marking the former threshold into the Yoshiwara district. The colour palette reflects typical Meiji-period printing innovations, using at least seven distinct pigments, likely including imported aniline dyes:
- Brilliant aniline purple
- Bright red
- Verdigris green
ほりへ二 遠市製 (Horie Ni, En’ichi sei)
The address "Horie Ni" appears on the back of this print, but its spelling is unusual. Instead of the expected kanji 堀 (hori), it uses a rare hentaigana (variant kana) form for ほ. This character, shown below, resembles a stylized blend of cursive kana and kanji features:
This form does not exist in standard Unicode, so it must be represented with an image. It was once considered unreadable, with various hypotheses proposed. Alec Wood suggested it might be hiragana ふ, but further research confirmed it as a hentaigana for ほ.
This form appears on only 3 or 4 publisher seals among nearly 3,000 known examples. Despite its rarity, the full reading of the seal is now understood to be:
ほりへ二 遠市製
Horie Ni, En’ichi sei
(“Horie 2-chōme, Made by En’ichi”)This address also aligns with the better-known 堀江町 (Horie-chō) in Tokyo, often used in the publisher's standard seals.
And this is what the place looked like in the mid-19th century, before the 'Meiji reforms'.
AIC 1943.736; Andō Hiroshige I. Cherry Blossom Day on the Nakanocho of the Yoshiwara (Yoshiwara Nakanocho Sakura no monbi), from the series "Famous Places in Edo (Edo meisho)"