100 Views of Edo # 115 Deluxe Edition by Ando Hiroshige

Artist: Ando Utagawa Hiroshige (1787-1858)

Woodblock Prints Title: Takata Riding Grounds (Takata no baba), from the series One Hundred Famous Views of Edo (Meisho Edo hyakkei)

1st Publication: January 1857

Size: Vertical ôban; 36.4 x 24.7 cm (14 1/3 x 9 11/16 in.)

Date of this edition: January 1857

Publisher: Uoya Eikichi

Condition: Very mild color burn visible on the right side of the print, little remnants from prior mounting (tape). A collector's writing on the lower margin. Very good colors, impression and overall condition

Notes:This is an extremely rare first edition, Deluxe edition with Mica in the tree branches area. Usually, this technique was reserved for good customer or prestigious people, as the technology was fairly new, expensive and difficult to master. Great print, great colors, almost full margins which is rare for this series, mica, a real masterpiece from this 100 views of Edo series.

More about this print: This scene portrays samurai retainers practicing military skills at the Takata Riding Grounds in the hilly northwestern suburbs of Edo. It is a reminder that half of Edo's population consisted of a hereditary warrior class that, even after more than two centuries of peace, was still expected to maintain its military skills. The practice of the martial arts was on the rise at the time this print appeared, reflecting a mounting foreign crisis and a heightened governmental emphasis on education and training.

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.