100 Views of Edo # 12 Deluxe 1st Edition by Ando Hiroshige

Additional Pictures:



Artist: Ando Utagawa Hiroshige (1787-1858)

Woodblock Print Title: Ueno Yamashita (Ueno Yamashita), from the series One Hundred Famous Views of Edo (Meisho Edo hyakkei)

1st Publication: October 1858

Size: Oban: 8 5/8" x 13 5/8" (21.9 x 34.2 cm)

Date of this edition: October 1858, 1st Edition

Publisher: Uoya Eikichi

Condition: Trimmed to the margins on the lower, and upper side of the print, partially on the right and left side, affecting the seals. Very good colors and impression.

Notes: Designed by Ando Hiroshige, this is one of the 3 prints from the series that was published by his pupil Hiroshige II. Very rare 1st edition with 3 colors in the title cartouche. Deluxe edition with Mica in the roof 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: This scene depicts the area known as Yamashita ("Below the Mountain") in Ueno Park. The abstract band of pink and yellow represents the famous cherry blossoms of Kan'eiji Temple ("The Mountain").

The small shrine hidden in the woods is Gojo Tenjin, and the adjacent restaurant is Iseya, which advertises a rice dish blended with pickled shiso, a minty herb. The procession of parasol-covered women in the lower left corner may be a group of ladies-in-waiting. Stopping to gaze at them is a group of commoners, somewhat awkwardly diminished in size.

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.