Kuniyoshi: Spring scene at the Sumida river
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Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1798-1861)

Three women chatting under a blossoming cherry tree on the banks of the Sumida river. On the left two little boys are playing besides a rack with two lucky (?) turtles. On the river a busy traffic of fishing boats, ferries and rafts. Behind the far river bank the summit of Mount Fuji is rising into a deep blue sky.

Title: Tôto daiichi Sumidagawa no shiro-uo (shira-uo) (White fish from the Sumida river in the eastern capital)

Series: Sankai meisan zukushi (Famous products of mountains and sea)

Signature: Ichiyûsai Kuniyoshi ga

Publisher: Shin-Iseya Kohei, Edo

Date: c. 1833 or earlier

Size: Vertical Ôban, c. 38,5 x 26 cm

Very nice impression and colours, only minimal fading. The flowers of the cherry tree printed with embossing. Unbacked and probably untrimmed. A little soiling, rubbing and small stains, mostly in marginal areas. Small restored paper defects in the corners. Overall very good condition.
Very rare print from a scarcely seen, however famous and very special series of only 10 prints with genre scenes, often with women and also children, at various occupations, set against rich perspective landscapes, which are predominantly kept in blue shades (aizuri).
Robinson 1961, No. 193. For the whole series see Kuniyoshiproject.com. This print only in the collection of the National Diet Library (NDL), info:ndljp/pid/1306604

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