Kubo Shunman

"Plovers at Tamagawa" from "Six Jewel Rivers" - Woodblock Print on Paper

c. 1787

"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...

Shin-machi Bridge at Hodogaya - Japanese Woodcut Print on Rice Paper Woodblock print of travelers on a bridge by Utagawa Hiroshige (Japanese, 1797-185...

"Enshoku Sanju-roku Kasen" (Thirty-six Enchanting Flowers) Woodblock on paper Elegant woodblock print by Toyohara Kunuchika (Japanese, 1835-1900). Three women are in talking with each other inside, while a man waits outside holding a bag of some kind. The colors in this piece are rich and saturated, primarily blues, greens, and purple. Mat size: 16"H x 20"W Paper size: 14.75"H x 9.88"W Born in 1835, Toyohara Kunichika grew up in the Kyobashi district of Edo in the midst of merchants and artisans. In 1848, at age 13, he was accepted as an apprentice into the studio of Utagawa Kunisada I...

Stage 48 of the 53 Stages of the Tokaido - Japanese Woodblock on Rice Paper Woodblock print of clothing vendors by Utagawa Hiroshige (Japanese, 1797-1858). Originally printed in 183...

Eight Scenic Spots in Kanazawa is a modern artwork realized in the Mid-20th Century. Mixed colored lithograph after a woodcut realized by the great Japanese artist Utagawa Hiroshige in the 19th century. Very Good conditions. Collect an oriental artwork...

An ink on paper, Nishiki-e and Yoko-e woodblock landscape showing a view of travelers crossing the Suruga bank of the Ōi River, circa 1850. Signed in Kanji lower left, "Hiroshige Ga"...

An ink on paper, Nishiki-e and Yoko-e woodblock landscape showing a view of two figures fighting wind gusts along the Mei River. Signed in Kanji upper right, "Hiroshige Ga" for Utaga...

An ink on paper, Nishiki-e and Yoko-e woodblock landscape showing a view of the Sarugababa (Monkey Plateau) rest stop at Futakawa, circa 1850. Signed in Kanji lower right, "Hiroshige...