100 Views of Edo # 5 Deluxe 1st Edition by Ando Hiroshige

Additional Pictures: Artist: Ando Utagawa Hiroshige (1787-1858)

Woodblock Print Title: Ryôgoku Ekôin and Moto-Yanagibashi Bridge (Ryôgoku Ekôin Moto-Yanagibashi), from the series One Hundred Famous Views of Edo (Meisho Edo hyakkei)

1st Publication: 1857

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

Date of this edition: 1857, 1st Edition

Publisher: Uoya Eikichi

Condition: Trimmed to the margin in the upper and lower section of the print. Margins partially trimmed on the right and left side affecting the seal.

Notes: Very rare 1st edition of this print with 3 colors in the cartouche title. Deluxe edition with Mica in the ground floor 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: Hiroshige has used an oblique vantage point to Mount Fuji to create a sense of excitement in an otherwise placid scene. The giant drum-tower at the left is the focus of the biannual sumo tournament on the grounds of the Buddhist temple of Ekōin. The two white cloths suspended from the tower indicate that the weather this spring day is suitable for a sumo match. Devoted fans will have already assembled in the temple precincts below. All of these fans were men; women attended only occasional practice sessions.

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.