100 Views of Edo # 78 Deluxe Edition by Ando Hiroshige

Artist: Ando Utagawa Hiroshige (1787-1858)

Woodblock Prints Title: Teppozu and Tsukiji Hongan ji Temple from the series One Hundred Famous Views of Edo (Meisho Edo hyakkei), here called One Hundred Views of Edo for Entertainment (Edo hyakkei yokyo)

1st Publication: July 1858

Size: 13-1/4 x 8-5/8 + Margins as shown

Date of this edition: July 1858, 1st Edition

Publisher: Uoya Eikichi

Condition: A few pin holes in the left margin, else very fine. Excellent colors, impression and overall condition.

Notes: Original 1st edition by Uoya in 1858. This is one of the extremely rare deluxe edition, with mica in the boats, as you can see on the additional picture section. 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: Description In the distance along the Teppōzu shore is the great Nishi Honganji Temple, the headquarters of one of two rival Buddhist sects. Its main hall was one of the largest buildings in Edo and a familiar landmark both on land and at sea. This print and the following one bear the anomalous series title Edo hyakkei yokyō. Although it is unclear exactly how to interpret the meaning of the suffix yokyō, which tends to suggest "side entertainment" or "diversion," the most likely explanation is that after the series had reached its promised quota of a hundred views, additional prints began to be issued as "extra entertainment."

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.