100 Views of Edo # 2 by Ando Hiroshige

Artist: Ando Utagawa Hiroshige (1787-1858)

Woodblock Print Title: Kasumigaseki (Kasumigaseki), from the series One Hundred Famous Views of Edo (Meisho Edo hyakkei)

1st Publication: January 1857

Size: Vertical oban; 35.7 x 24.5 cm (14 1/16 x 9 5/8 in.)

Date of this edition: January 1857

Publisher: Uoya Eikichi

Condition: Little remnants from prior mounting, else very fine. Excellent colors, impression and overall condition.

More about this Print: Hiroshige here depicts traditional symbols and activities of the New Year, one of Japan's most important annual festivals. To the right appears the vertical slice of a gate pine (kadomatsu), a traditional New Year's decoration, which also organizes the scene to suggest a Noh drama stage set.

At the center is a somber procession of street theater performers climbing the slope known as Kasumigaseki. Two manzai artists, who perform celebratory chants and dances for samurai families, observe them. Kites fly above; one is inscribed with the name of the publisher of the series, which translates as "fishmonger."

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.