Skip to main content
Want more images or videos?
Request additional images or videos from the seller
1 of 11

Utagawa Kunisada (Toyokuni III)
The Courtesan Kashiwagi and the Kamuro Wakano - Japanese Woodblock Print

1820-1830

$900
£695.41
€803.96
CA$1,271.77
A$1,426.37
CHF 746.97
MX$17,331.78
NOK 9,485.24
SEK 8,992.67
DKK 6,001.10

About the Item

The Courtesan Kashiwagi and the Kamuro Wakano - Japanese Woodblock Print Original Toyokuni III/Kunisada (Japanese, 1786 - 1864) Japanese Woodblock Print "The Courtesan Kashiwagi and the Kamuro Wakano and Chiyono from the Kadoebi House on Kyo Street," circa 1820 - 1830. Wonderful portrait of the courtesan Kashiwagi of the Kadoebi House on Kyo Street, standing just outside the entrance gate of the establishment. She wears a fantastic black outer kimono patterned with a three-dimensional dragon, red flames, and swirling clouds. Her hair is arranged with tortoiseshell combs and hairpins decorated with flowers and spools of thread. Although her kamuro or child apprentices are mentioned by name in the text, they are not shown in the picture. A terrific Edo era beauty design. Artist: Toyokuni III/Kunisada (1786 - 1864) Presented in a new black mat. Mat size: 19"H x 13"W Paper size: 14.5"H x 10"W Image size: 14"H x 9.5"W Utagawa Hiroshige was born in 1797 in the Yayosu Quay section of the Yaesu area in Edo (modern Tokyo). He was of a samurai background, and was the great-grandson of Tanaka Tokuemon, who held a position of power under the Tsugaru clan in the northern province of Mutsu. Not long after his parents' deaths, perhaps at around fourteen, Hiroshige—then named Tokutarō— began painting. He sought the tutelage of Toyokuni of the Utagawa school, but Toyokuni had too many pupils to make room for him. A librarian introduced him instead to Toyohiro of the same school. By 1812 Hiroshige was permitted to sign his works, which he did under the art name Hiroshige. He also studied the techniques of the well-established Kanō school, the nanga whose tradition began with the Chinese Southern School, and the realistic Shijō school, and likely the linear perspective techniques of Western art and uki-e. Hiroshige's apprentice work included book illustrations and single-sheet ukiyo-e prints of female beauties and kabuki actors in the Utagawa style. It was not until 1829–1830 that Hiroshige began to produce the landscapes he has come to be known for, such as the Eight Views of Ōmi series. He also created an increasing number of bird and flower prints about this time. About 1831, his Ten Famous Places in the Eastern Capital appeared, and seem to bear the influence of Hokusai, whose popular landscape series Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji had recently seen publication. An invitation to join an official procession to Kyoto in 1832 gave Hiroshige the opportunity to travel along the Tōkaidō route that linked the two capitals. He sketched the scenery along the way, and when he returned to Edo he produced the series The Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō, which contains some of his best-known prints. Hiroshige built on the series' success by following it with others, such as the Illustrated Places of Naniwa (1834), Famous Places of Kyoto (1835), another Eight Views of Ōmi (1834). During his lifetime Kunisada Utagawa was considered to be the best print designer by his contemporaries. He was more popular than Hiroshige, Hokusai or Kuniyoshi. And Kunisada was extremely productive. His total output is estimated at more than 20,000 designs, many made by his students. Kunisada was born near Edo (today Tokyo) as the son of an affluent merchant with a ferry boat license. At the age of fifteen he joined the famous art school of Utagawa Toyokuni and took the name Kunisada. In 1807 the young artist produced his first illustrated book. And in 1808 his first actor prints were published. His fame grew fast. While other artists like Kuniyoshi Utagawa or Hiroshige had to fight for recognition for years, he was successful from the beginning. He went on to become the most commercially successful of all woodblock printmakers ever. His early success may not have had a good influence on his personality. He had a reputation for his conceited personality. Kunisada designed a wide spectrum of traditional ukiyo-e subjects like kabuki themes, beautiful women, historical events and quite a few shunga prints. He made few landscapes.

More From This Seller

View All
"Sun Saburo Matsugaya" - Mid 19th Century Figurative Japanese Woodblock Print
By Utagawa Kunisada (Toyokuni III)
Located in Soquel, CA
"Sun Saburo Matsugaya" - Mid 19th Century Figurative Japanese Woodblock Print Beautiful mid 19th century figural Japanese woodblock print of a seated man with lilies in the background by Utagawa Toyokuni III (Kunisada) (Japanese, 1786-1864/5). Artist's chop is in the lower right corner of the piece. The actor is Magosaburo Matsugaya from the play "Katakiuchi Rumors" Presented in a new grey-blue mat with foamcore backing. Mat size: 21"H x 16"W Paper size: 14"H x 9.75"W During his lifetime Kunisada Utagawa...
Category

1850s Edo Figurative Prints

Materials

Paper, Ink, Woodcut

Kumasaka Chōhan to Ushiwakamaru - One of a Diptych Original Woodcut Print
By Utagawa Kunisada (Toyokuni III)
Located in Soquel, CA
Kumasaka Chōhan to Ushiwakamaru is a Japanese Ukiyo-e print created between 1848 and 1854 by artist Utagawa Kunisada (Japanese, 1786-1864). The print is a Diptych, and is part of the...
Category

1850s Realist Figurative Prints

Materials

Printer's Ink, Rice Paper, Woodcut

"Juro Sukenari, Station #9: Oiso", Mid 19th Century Japanese Ukiyo-e Woodblock
By Utagawa Kunisada (Toyokuni III)
Located in Soquel, CA
Beautiful mid 19th century Japanese woodblock print of a samurai by Utagawa Toyokuni III (Kunisada) (Japanese, 1786-1864/5). This piece is from a series of "The 53 Stations of the To...
Category

1860s Edo Figurative Prints

Materials

Paper, Ink

Kabuki Actor, Mid 19th Century Figurative Japanese Woodblock Print
By Utagawa Kunisada (Toyokuni III)
Located in Soquel, CA
Beautiful mid 19th century figural Japanese woodblock print of a kabuki actor in blue by Utagawa Toyokuni III (Kunisada) (Japanese, 1786-1864/5). Artist's chop is in the upper left corner of the piece. Presented in a cream mat, with a black and red frame and plexiglas. Image size ~13.5"H x 9.5"W During his lifetime Kunisada Utagawa...
Category

1860s Edo Figurative Prints

Materials

Paper, Ink

Annual Events for Young Murasaki (July) - Tales of Genji - Japanese Woodblock
By Utagawa Kunisada (Toyokuni III)
Located in Soquel, CA
Annual Events for Young Murasaki (July) - Tales of Genji - Japanese Woodblock Rightmost panel a triptych, depicting monthly events for Wakamurasaki (Young Murasaki). This is the month of July. There appears to be a lesson taking place, possibly for writing or poetry. Artist: Toyokuni III/Kunisada (1786 - 1864) Publisher: Ebisu-ya Shoshichist Presented in a new blue mat. Mat size: 19"H x 13"W Paper size: 14.5"H x 10"W Commentary on the triptych: In the Edo period, Tanabata was designated as one of the five seasonal festivals, and became an annual event for the imperial court, aristocrats, and samurai families, and gradually came to be celebrated by the general public. Its origins are said to be a combination of the Kikoden festival, which originated from the Chinese legend of Altair and the Weaver Girl, and Japan's ancient Tanabata women's faith. Ink is ground with dew that has accumulated on potato leaves, poems and wishes are written on five colored strips of paper, which are then hung on bamboo branches to celebrate the two stars that meet once a year. Although the illustration is a Genji painting...
Category

1850s Realist Figurative Prints

Materials

Printer's Ink, Rice Paper, Woodcut

Courtesans at Yoshiwara Edomachi - Figurative Japanese Woodblock Print on Paper
By Utagawa Yoshiiku
Located in Soquel, CA
Courtesan at Yoshiwara Edomachi - Figurative Japanese Woodblock Print on Paper Full color woodcut print of two women in elaborate gowns by Utagawa Yoshiiku (Ochiai Yoshiiku) (Japanese, 1833-1904). Two women are dressed in colorful robes with crossed arms. They are underneath a plum blossom tree in bloom, at night. In the background there is a building with many rooms. Valuable polychrome woodblock print of vertical large oban (大判) format made by Utagawa Yoshiiku (歌川芳幾), the famous artist also known as Ochiai Yoshiiku (落合芳幾), and depicting the courtesan Shizuka (しづか), of the house of pleasure Matsumotoro (松本楼), together with her young kamuro (禿) assistant. The couple is escorted by a kanabohiki (金棒引き) watchman holding a lantern and a metal rod with rings to make noise and alert the crowd. The work, produced in August 1869 by the publisher Tsunajima Kamekichi (綱島亀吉), is taken from the “Twelve Months of Yoshiwara” (よし原十二ヶ月のうち), an elegant series of prints dedicated to the famous red light district of Edo (江戸), and is paired with the “month of leaves” Hazuki (葉月), that is August. Ochiai Yoshiiku (Japanese, 1833-1904) was an ukiyo-e artist from the end of the Edo Period to the Meiji Period. He has created works which are essential to the history of ukiyo-e, such as“Twenty-eight Famous Murders with Verse”, a series of chimidoro-e (bloody paintings) which Yoshiiku and Tsukioka Yoshitoshi collaborated together, and “Shimbun (newspaper) Nishiki-e” that illustrated Meiji news articles with ukiyo-e. Born the son of teahouse proprietor Asakusa Tamichi in 1833, Yoshiiku became a student of ukiyo-e artist Utagawa Kuniyoshi toward the end of the 1840s. His earliest known work dates to 1852 when he provided the backgrounds to some actor prints by his master. Yoshiiku's earliest works were portraits of actors (yakusha-e), beauties (bijin-ga), and warriors (musha-e). He later followed Kuniyoshi into making satirical and humorous pieces, and became the leading name in the field after Kuniyosh's death in 1861. He illustrated the Tokyo Nichi Nichi...
Category

1860s Impressionist Figurative Prints

Materials

Paper, Ink, Woodcut

You May Also Like

Courtesan Kumekichi
By Utagawa Kunisada (Toyokuni III)
Located in Fairlawn, OH
Courtesan Kumekichi Color woodblock, 1858 Kabuki Actor Iwai Kumesaburo III in the role of courtesan Kumekichi, who is standing in snow hold a red sake cup Publisher: Ohkuniya Kinjiro...
Category

1850s Other Art Style Figurative Prints

Materials

Woodcut

Oriental Woman - Woodcut by Utagawa Kunisada - 1830 ca.
By Utagawa Kunisada (Toyokuni III)
Located in Roma, IT
Oriental Woman is an original print realized around 1830 by Utagawa Kunisada. Beautiful colored woodblock print. Good conditions except for some folds...
Category

1830s Figurative Prints

Materials

Woodcut

Woman - Woodcut by Utagawa Kunisada - 1830 ca.
By Utagawa Kunisada (Toyokuni III)
Located in Roma, IT
Japanese Woman is a beautiful print realized around 1830 by Utagawa Kunisada. Original colored woodblock print. This wonderful modern artwork represents a portrait of a Japan woman...
Category

1830s Modern Figurative Prints

Materials

Woodcut

Utagawa Kunisada (1786-1865) - Woodblock, Portrait of a Japanese Lady
Located in Corsham, GB
This intricate woodblock print is a fine demonstration of Kunisada's later works. Depicting a beautiful lady dressing in floral kimono and decorative hair pieces. The signature to th...
Category

19th Century Portrait Prints

Materials

Woodcut

Yugiri - Woodcut by Utagawa Kunisada - 1850s
By Utagawa Kunisada (Toyokuni III)
Located in Roma, IT
Yugiri is an original artwork realized in the 1850s by Utagawa Kunisada (1786-1865). Chapter 39 of the story Genji Monogatari. Color woodcut around 1851. Signed: Ichiyossai Toyokun...
Category

1850s Modern Figurative Prints

Materials

Woodcut

Bijinga - Woodcut by Utagawa Kunisada - 1844
By Utagawa Kunisada (Toyokuni III)
Located in Roma, IT
Bijinga is an original artwork realized in the half of the 19th Century by Utagawa Kunisada (1786-1865). From the series "SHyakunin isshu esho" (Girl's pictures and 100 poets' card...
Category

1840s Modern Figurative Prints

Materials

Woodcut