Utagawa Toyohiro

Procession of Women Carrying Palanquin - Japanese Woodblock by Utagawa Toyohiro

early 1900s

"First Horse Day, 1896" - Chiyoda Palace - Japanese Woodblock by Chikanobu Yoshu Colorful and expressive court scne by Toyohara Chikanobu,"Yoshu" (Japanese, 1838-1912). This is the r...

"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...

Paris: Sagot, 1889. Wood engraving on cream laid Japon paper with full deckle edges, 8 3/8 x 5 3/4 (212 x 145 mm). Signed, numbered 9/35, and inscribed "1er Etat" in pencil in the l...

A fine and early state impression from an almost unparralled 19th century Parisian collection curated by Loys Delteil. Etching, drypoint, and roulette on buff laid Japon paper, 5 7/16 x 9 13/16 inches (137 × 249 mm) full margins. In very good condition with light and unobtrusive scattered foxing. Some pencil inscriptions in the margins, recto, as well as the Alfred Beurdeley collection stamp (Lugt 421) in black ink in the lower left margin on the recto. There are some light scattered inscriptions in pencil on the verso, as well as a numerical stamp in blue ink, which we believe is the lot number from part III of a well-known series of sales of Beurdeley's collection organized by Loys Delteil. This portion of the sale of Beurdeley's massive collection focused on Modern Prints, and took place on May 19 – 20, 1920, in Paris. In regard to the content of the sale, Fritz Lugt states "Meryon's work included all the beautiful pieces about Paris." A rich and tonal impression. [Delteil & Wright 9; Schneiderman 12]. A note on the provenance: Alfred Beurdeley (1847-1919) was the son of one of the first antique dealers in Paris...