HIROSHIGE · 1891 Memorial Edition · Mount Fuji · Sumida River · Japanese Woodblock Print - Japan - Meiji period (1868-1912)
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Selected by Giovanni Bottero
Holds a master’s in Japanese art history with over 10 years’ expertise in Asian art.
Estimate € 150 - € 250
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Original licensed Meiji Memorial Edition woodblock print by Utagawa Hiroshige, 1891, Ōban Tate‑e (approx. 36 × 24 cm), depicting Ryōgoku Ekōin and Moto‑Yanagibashi with Mount Fuji in the distance, in good condition from a private collection.
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Description from the seller
** Edo-period first impressions from this series sell at a high premium in comparable condition. This is the 1891 Memorial Edition, the Meiji commemorative issue of these designs, dated and documented as such in its own margin. It is an attractive way to collect Hiroshige's Edo views: printed from recut blocks with traditional woodblock craftsmanship, in genuinely high quality, with Meiji-era colouring. It is also a Meiji antique in its own right, now more than 130 years old. **
Artist: Utagawa Hiroshige (歌川広重, 1797–1858), signed Hiroshige ga (広重画)
Title: 両ごく回向院元柳橋 Ryōgoku Ekōin Moto-Yanagibashi, Ekōin Temple at Ryōgoku and Moto-Yanagi Bridge
Series: 撰出江戸四十八景 Senshutsu Edo Shijūhakkei, Forty-eight Selected Views of Edo. Original design No. 5 (spring section) of 名所江戸百景 One Hundred Famous Views of Edo, first published in the 5th month of 1857
This Edition: 1891 Memorial Edition (Meiji recut), dated Meiji 24 (1891) in the left margin
Technique: Woodblock print (mokuhanga), polychrome (nishiki-e)
Format: Ōban tate-e, approx. 36 × 24 cm (14.2 × 9.4 inches)
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Paper & condition
Very good impression with very fine colours!. A few minor soiling and toning spots in the margins. Otherwise sound. Please study the images!
--------------------------------------------
About the print
Ekōin at Ryōgoku began as a memorial temple. The Tokugawa shogunate built it to hold services for the souls of the people who died in the Great Meireki Fire of 1657, the worst fire in Edo's history. The events held there drew large crowds, and over time the area around the temple became one of Edo's most popular entertainment districts. Sumo matches were held there often from the Tenmei era (1781–89). From the 1820s Ekōin had a near monopoly on the Edo tournaments, helped by its position next to the busy amusement quarter by Ryōgoku Bridge, which lies just outside the right edge of this view. The sport stayed on this site into the twentieth century: the first Ryōgoku Kokugikan stadium was built there in 1909.
Hiroshige chose the tower as the emblem of the place. The drum tower stood for both Ekōin and sumo, and in the Edo period it was put up without a single nail or piece of wire. The drum at its top, the sumo taiko, was beaten to announce the start of the matches, which were held twice a year in spring and autumn on the temple grounds. The two white cloths hanging from the tower signalled that the weather was good enough for a match that day. Beyond it, small boats carry cargo down the Sumida towards the central markets of Edo, with Mount Fuji on the horizon. The timing of the original was commercial as well: the print came out two months after a popular exhibition of temple treasures at Ekōin
Seller's Story
I've been collecting Japanese woodblock prints for quite a while now — everything from classic ukiyo-e to shin-hanga and sōsaku-hanga. What started as a personal passion eventually turned into something more, and these days I source prints from auctions, galleries, and private collections across Japan and Europe.
With growing worldwide interest in Japanese woodblock prints, gallery prices have been climbing steadily. My goal is simple: offer high-quality, authentic prints at reasonable prices. I'm picky about what I sell — I look for pieces that have been stored properly, kept flat, and are free from serious foxing, stains, or damage.
I'm based in Germany, which means EU buyers won't deal with any import duties or taxes. For US buyers, original artworks under HS code 9702 are duty-free as well. And wherever you are, I pack everything carefully with multiple layers of protection so your print arrives safely.
If you have questions about a piece, just reach out. You will get access to contact me once you've won an item from my lots.
** Edo-period first impressions from this series sell at a high premium in comparable condition. This is the 1891 Memorial Edition, the Meiji commemorative issue of these designs, dated and documented as such in its own margin. It is an attractive way to collect Hiroshige's Edo views: printed from recut blocks with traditional woodblock craftsmanship, in genuinely high quality, with Meiji-era colouring. It is also a Meiji antique in its own right, now more than 130 years old. **
Artist: Utagawa Hiroshige (歌川広重, 1797–1858), signed Hiroshige ga (広重画)
Title: 両ごく回向院元柳橋 Ryōgoku Ekōin Moto-Yanagibashi, Ekōin Temple at Ryōgoku and Moto-Yanagi Bridge
Series: 撰出江戸四十八景 Senshutsu Edo Shijūhakkei, Forty-eight Selected Views of Edo. Original design No. 5 (spring section) of 名所江戸百景 One Hundred Famous Views of Edo, first published in the 5th month of 1857
This Edition: 1891 Memorial Edition (Meiji recut), dated Meiji 24 (1891) in the left margin
Technique: Woodblock print (mokuhanga), polychrome (nishiki-e)
Format: Ōban tate-e, approx. 36 × 24 cm (14.2 × 9.4 inches)
----------------------------------------
Paper & condition
Very good impression with very fine colours!. A few minor soiling and toning spots in the margins. Otherwise sound. Please study the images!
--------------------------------------------
About the print
Ekōin at Ryōgoku began as a memorial temple. The Tokugawa shogunate built it to hold services for the souls of the people who died in the Great Meireki Fire of 1657, the worst fire in Edo's history. The events held there drew large crowds, and over time the area around the temple became one of Edo's most popular entertainment districts. Sumo matches were held there often from the Tenmei era (1781–89). From the 1820s Ekōin had a near monopoly on the Edo tournaments, helped by its position next to the busy amusement quarter by Ryōgoku Bridge, which lies just outside the right edge of this view. The sport stayed on this site into the twentieth century: the first Ryōgoku Kokugikan stadium was built there in 1909.
Hiroshige chose the tower as the emblem of the place. The drum tower stood for both Ekōin and sumo, and in the Edo period it was put up without a single nail or piece of wire. The drum at its top, the sumo taiko, was beaten to announce the start of the matches, which were held twice a year in spring and autumn on the temple grounds. The two white cloths hanging from the tower signalled that the weather was good enough for a match that day. Beyond it, small boats carry cargo down the Sumida towards the central markets of Edo, with Mount Fuji on the horizon. The timing of the original was commercial as well: the print came out two months after a popular exhibition of temple treasures at Ekōin
Seller's Story
I've been collecting Japanese woodblock prints for quite a while now — everything from classic ukiyo-e to shin-hanga and sōsaku-hanga. What started as a personal passion eventually turned into something more, and these days I source prints from auctions, galleries, and private collections across Japan and Europe.
With growing worldwide interest in Japanese woodblock prints, gallery prices have been climbing steadily. My goal is simple: offer high-quality, authentic prints at reasonable prices. I'm picky about what I sell — I look for pieces that have been stored properly, kept flat, and are free from serious foxing, stains, or damage.
I'm based in Germany, which means EU buyers won't deal with any import duties or taxes. For US buyers, original artworks under HS code 9702 are duty-free as well. And wherever you are, I pack everything carefully with multiple layers of protection so your print arrives safely.
If you have questions about a piece, just reach out. You will get access to contact me once you've won an item from my lots.
Details
Dynastic Style/Period
Meiji period (1868-1912)
Country of Origin
Japan
Attribution
Original
Title of artwork
HIROSHIGE · 1891 Memorial Edition · Mount Fuji · Sumida River · Japanese Woodblock Print
Condition
Good condition
Provenance
Private collection
Authenticity
Licensed replica
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