100 Views of Edo # 27 by Ando Hiroshige

Artist: Ando Utagawa Hiroshige (1787-1858)

Woodblock Prints Title: 100 Views of Edo # 27 Plum Garden, Kamata (Kamata no Umezono)

1st Publication: February 1857

Size: 8-7/8 x 13-1/4 + Margins as shown

Date of this edition: 1857

Publisher: Uoya Eikichi

Condition: 3 professionally restored wormholes blending perfectly well in the print. in the upper parts in the branches, one by the bottom of the bench. Little remnants from prior backing. Some mild soiling, some small stains. Excellent colors. Good impression and overall condition.

Notes: This print is among the most famous of the series and very highly sought.

More about this print: The entire Kamata area south of Ōmori was known for the cultivation of plum trees and was celebrated more for its early summertime fruits than its springtime blossoms. The gentle beauty of this print tends to distract the viewer from the structure intruding from the right. It is a cushioned palanquin known as a yamakago ("mountain palanquin"), once widely used for travel in Japan. The overgarment left casually on top suggests that a traveler has recently stopped off for a brief rest from the nearby Tokaido highway that linked Edo to Kyoto.

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.