100 Views of Edo # 24 Deluxe 1st Edition by Ando Hiroshi

Artist: Ando Utagawa Hiroshige (1787-1858)

Woodblock Print Title: New Fuji, Meguro (Meguro Shin-Fuji), from the series One Hundred Famous Views of Edo (Meisho Edo hyakkei)

1st Publication: April 1857

Size: Vertical ôban; 35.9 x 24.6 cm (14 1/8 x 9 11/16 in.)

Date of this edition: April 1857, 1st edition

Publisher: Uoya Eikichi

Condition: Trimmed on the upper, lower and left margin, affecting the seals. Mild matte discoloration. Exceptional colors and impression.

Notes: Very rare 1st edition with the red sky. Deluxe edition with Mica in the sky area. Usually, this technique was reserved for good customer or prestigious people, as the technology was fairly new, expensive and difficult to master.

More about this print: This view documents the late Edo practice of constructing miniature replicas of Mount Fuji. The first such mini-Fuji was constructed in 1779 by a practitioner of Fujikō, a popular religion that worshipped the famed mountain as a god. The idea was to provide a chance to climb Mount Fuji for those normally unable to do so. The mini-Fuji in the foreground was built in 1819. A zigzag path along the slope mimics the switchback route up the real mountain.

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.