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Utagawa Kuniteru I
The Four Seasons: Spring Japanese Woodblock Triptych ink on Paper Tales of Genji

early 1800s

$1,480
$1,85020% Off
£1,112.84
£1,391.0520% Off
€1,292.28
€1,615.3520% Off
CA$2,066.79
CA$2,583.4920% Off
A$2,292.22
A$2,865.2820% Off
CHF 1,203.76
CHF 1,504.7020% Off
MX$28,150.12
MX$35,187.6420% Off
NOK 15,238.49
NOK 19,048.1120% Off
SEK 14,370.10
SEK 17,962.6320% Off
DKK 9,641.82
DKK 12,052.2720% Off
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About the Item

The Four Seasons: Spring - Japanese Woodblock Triptych in Ink on Paper Colorful kabuki scene by Utagawa Kuniteru (Japanese, active 1818-1860). Attractive scene from the "Tale of Genji" of Prince Genji and a young nobleman at a country estate, the verandah opening onto a beautiful garden. Outside, two young women at right wear robes with wings like those of the mandarin ducks swimming in the lake, while three other beauties flutter about the landscape with butterfly wings. The young nobleman watches them over his shoulder with a slightly surprised expression as he stands in the center. A small girl kneels beside him holding a large vase with flowering branches in it, her kimono sleeves also patterned to look like butterfly wings. Genji sits on a cushion at right, holding a fan and smiling happily. Blossoming cherry trees and yellow roses frame the view of the garden. A lovely design with wonderful detail in the setting. Publisher's marks in the lower right corner. Presented in a gold colored frame with a blue mat. Frame size: 18.75"H x 14.75"W (each) Image size: 12.5"H x 8.75"W (each) Utagawa Kuniteru (Japanese: 歌川国輝; active 1818-1860) was an ukiyo-e artist in the tradition of the Utagawa school. Born in Edo (Tokyo), he studied under both Kunisada and Toyokuni I. He produced prints of a wide variety of subjects, including many depicting the increasing Western influence on Japan, with his main output taking the form of book illustrations and single-sheet ukiyo-e. He was known by various names: he called himself Kunitsuna II or Ichiransai until the Ganji era (1864/1865). Before 1844 he may also have been known as Sadashige and signed works using the name Ichiyusai. As Kunitsuna II he concentrated on caricatures and scenes from his travels. After taking his master's name, he expanded his range to include scenes of sumo wrestling, and the modernization and westernization of Japan.
  • Creator:
    Utagawa Kuniteru I (Japanese)
  • Creation Year:
    early 1800s
  • Dimensions:
    Height: 18.75 in (47.63 cm)Width: 44.25 in (112.4 cm)Depth: 0.75 in (1.91 cm)
  • Medium:
  • Movement & Style:
  • Period:
  • Condition:
    Tonal ageing to paper, as expected. Some glue residue at edges from a previous mounting. Small punctures in lower right corner from bookworms.
  • Gallery Location:
    Soquel, CA
  • Reference Number:
    Seller: DBH8690, DBH8691, DBH86921stDibs: LU54212652582

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Annual Events for Young Murasaki (July) - Tales of Genji - Japanese Woodblock
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"Various Himochi" Wagashi Festival Japanese Woodblock Print by Utagawa Toyokuni
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"Various Himochi" Wagashi Festival Japanese Woodblock Print by Utagawa Toyokuni Rare oversized early 19th century 5-tiered woodblock by Utagawa Ichiyosai Toyokuni, (Japan, 1769-1825), a Japanese lord and wife oversee a sekku festival of food, music, and dolls or toys. '"oshi" is the first day of “Mi (Snake)” in the third month of the lunar calendar. This day, known in modern Japan as the Girls' Festival, originated in China as a form of purification ceremony in which water and drinking peach blossom wine were used to drive away evil. Many kinds of hishi-mochi appear in this picture of hina ningyo (dolls associated with Hinamatsuri, or the Girl’s Day) from Omochae. The custom of eating special dishes at events throughout the year and at milestones in people's lives has existed since ancient times. This paragraph specifically focuses on the annual event called sekku, and life events that involve eating sweets. Joshi is the first day of “Mi (Snake)” in the third month of the lunar calendar. This day, known in modern Japan as the Girls' Festival, originated in China as a form of purification ceremony in which water and drinking peach blossom wine were used to drive away evil. According to the Keiso saijiki, in ancient China, on the third day of the third lunar month, people ate “ryuzetsuhan,” which is the juice of gogyo (Jersey cudweed) mixed with rice flour and nectar. In Japan, there is a record in the Heian period history book Nihon Montoku tenno jitsuroku [839-5] that it was an annual event to make kusamochi using gogyo on the third day of the third month of the lunar calendar, which may have been influenced by Chinese customs. The tradition of eating kusamochi on the third day of the third month of the lunar calendar continued after that. By the Edo period, however, hishimochi had come to be used as a sweet to serve on the third day of the third month. A picture of a hishimochi is included in the Morisada manko , which we mentioned in Part 1. According to it, hishimochi in the Edo period were often three layers of green-white-green instead of the now common red-white-green. However, it is possible to see from our collection that not all hishimochi were made in this way. Omochae published in 1857, is a good example. Omochae is a type of ukiyoe print...
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