Hiroshige: A distant view of Azuma Bridge
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 Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858)

A geisha is crossing the Sumidagawa river in a pleasure boat on a beautiful spring day - cherry blossom petals are floating through the air. Mount Fuji can be seen in the distance behind Azuma bridge. To the right the Asakusa district of Edo with the pagoda of the famous Kinryuzan temple, also known as Asakusa Kannon-dô or Sensôji.

Title: Azumabashi Kinryûzan enbô (A distant view of Azuma Bridge and Kinryuzan Temple)

Series: Meisho Edo hyakkei (One Hundred Famous Views of Edo)

Signature: Hiroshige ga

Publisher: Sakanaya Eikichi (Uoei), Edo

Date: Snake 8 (1857, 8th month)

Original Japanese colour woodblock print. Size: Vertical Ôban, 33.7 x 22.5 cm (image)

Beautiful early impression from the first edition, with violet bokashi gradation in the sky. Excellent impression and colours, with strongly visible wood-grain. With the printing block defects in the boat, characteristic for early impressions. A few printer’s colour smudges. Margins a little bit trimmed at sides and bottom. Verso a few thin remnants from former mounting, two restored wormholes in lower margin and minimal soiling in margin.Overall still fine condition.

Ill. in Ukiyo-e Taikei, vol. 16, no. 39; Smith, Hiroshige. One Hundred Famous Views of Edo, New York, 2007 (6th ed.) no. 39. For this early state of the print compare e.g. Library of Congress FP 2 - JPD, no. 1434; MFA Boston, Bigelow Coll., no. 11.35836; Tokyo National Museum, A-9124_40.

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