100 Views of Edo # 43 by Ando Hiroshige

Artist: Ando Utagawa Hiroshige (1787-1858)

Woodblock Prints Title: Nihonbashi Bridge and Edobashi Bridge (Nihonbashi Edobashi), from the series One Hundred Famous Views of Edo (Meisho Edo hyakkei)

1st Publication: December 1857

Size: Vertical oban; 35.5 x 24 cm (13 1/2 x 9 in.)

Date of this edition: December 1857

Publisher: Uoya Eikichi

Condition: Trimmed to the margins, else very fine. Excellent colors and impression.

Notes: This print is the first of the summer designs in the series, and like the first part of the spring group it depicts Nihonbashi, the famous bridge at the center of downtown Edo. The fish in the bucket at the lower right represents the famous "first bonito" (a type of tuna) that signified the beginning of summer.

Fishermen competed annually to bring the earliest catch of the bonito schools to the Edo market, knowing that they could command outrageous prices. The appeal lay less in the taste of the fish than in its rarity.

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.