Shibata Zeshin (1807-1891)
A race between two boats.
Title: Kyôtei (The boat race), given title
Uchiwa-e fan print
Signature: Zeshin
Seal: Seka (?) o. Shichi (?)
Date: c. 1880-90
Size: Horizontal Aiban, Uchiwa-e, 23.5 x 31.2 cm (overall)
Excellent impression in very good colours. A faintly visible vertical centrefold, smoothed. Minimally trimmed. From verso a little brown stained, hardly visible from recto. Top right corner expertly repaired, at verso two small paper remnants from prior attachment. Overall still very good condition.
A very rare (and characteristically humorous) image by the artist; since usually having been mounted and used as a fan, there are probably only few surviving copies.
So far only one further copy can be traced: MFA Boston, Charles Bain Hoyt Coll., No. 50.2169 (titled Kyôtei - Boat Race). The – uncertain - reading of the seal according to Milne Henderson, Zeshin & Related Artists, London, n.d. (1978), Zeshin no. 5.
sold