100 Views of Edo # 8 by Ando Hiroshige

Artist: Ando Utagawa Hiroshige (1787-1858)

Title of the Print: 100 Views of Edo # 8 The Suruga cho Quarter

1st Publication: September 1856

Size: 8-1/2 x 13-1/4 + Margins as shown

Date of this edition: 1856

Publisher: Uoya Eikichi

Condition: Some fading, else very fine. Fully margin, excellent overall condition.

Notes: This is one of the top ten print of the 100 views of Edo series, among the most famous work of Hiroshige.

More about this print: What distinguishes Hiroshige's design in this print is its resolute symmetry, softened only by the irregular stylized cloud forms traditionally used in Japanese paintings to separate scenes in pictorial narratives. Here this compositional device focuses attention on Mount Fuji above and the urban bustle below in the street called Suruga-chô.

Included in this scene is Japan's premier store, Echigoya, presently Mitsukoshi Department Store, still the most venerable of all the great merchandisers of Tokyo. It is identified by its crest, a circle around the characters for "three" and "well," which together read "Mitsui."

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.