100 Views of Edo #22 by Ando Hiroshige

Artist: Ando Utagawa Hiroshige (1787-1858)

Woodblock Prints Title: Furukawa River, Hiroo (Hiroo Furukawa), from the series One Hundred Famous Views of Edo (Meisho Edo hyakkei)

1st Publication: August 1856

Size: Vertical ôban; 37.1 x 25.3 cm (14 5/8 x 9 15/16 in.)

Date of this edition: 1856

Publisher: Uoya Eikichi

Condition: Remnants from prior mounting (carton & Glue), multiple crack repairs near the margins, glue transfer in the upper corners affecting the print, yellow color partially faded.Margins partially trimmed affecting the seals. Fair overall condition.

More about this print: For an Edo resident purchasing this print in 1856, the chief attraction of this scene of the Hiroo area of southwestern Edo may have been the half-hidden restaurant in the foreground to the left of the river. It was a famous eel restaurant named Owariya in a guide to Edo shops of 1811 and labeled "The Fox" on maps published after 1854. The restaurant had a widespread popularity at the time Hiroshige designed this print.

Pictures: Pictures are taken outdoor, in the shade, to reflect true colors, without any enhancements of any kind. The last picture is taken indoor, with a light behind the print, to reveal the exact paper grain, holes if any, or other possible flaws.