Tōkaidō Fūkei Zue (東海道風景図会 - "Vedute e costumi del Tōkaidō") - Utagawa Hiroshige (1797–1858) - Japan - Edo Period (1600-1868)

Set of 3 Antique Japanese Prints (Ehon) – Utagawa Hiroshige (1797–1858)
Type: Original polychrome woodblock prints, folded as double-page spreads (ehon-ban), from an illustrated book
Artist: Utagawa Hiroshige (歌川広重, 1797–1858)
Source work: Tōkaidō Fūkei Zue (東海道風景図会 - "Views and Customs of the Tōkaidō")
Period: Edo period, Kaei 4 era (circa 1851)
Technique: Original woodblock printing on washi rice paper (Nishiki-e)
Framing: Each print is presented in a wooden frame with protective glass
Description of Individual Sheets

1. "Travelers' Customs and Sumo Wrestling" (Tōkaidō Jō-go)
* Subject: The sheet features a double-page illustration of everyday life and traditions along the famous Tōkaidō route.
* Right page: Dynamic scenes of travelers, itinerant tea sellers (mugi-cha), and farmers wearing straw hats (amigasa) and carrying baskets, accompanied by a packhorse.
* Left page: Lively scene of an outdoor sumo training session/performance led by a referee/instructor, accompanied by explanatory notes in kuzushiji (old Japanese cursive script).
* Seals/Inscriptions: Central cartouche bearing the inscription 東海道 (Tōkaidō) and 上五 (Jō-go / Upper Section 5). Red censor/publisher's seal at the bottom.

2. "Procession of Travelers and Figures of the Tōkaidō" (Tōkaidō Jō-yon)
* Subject: A densely populated group composition illustrating the social diversity of travelers in the Edo period.
* Right page: A large group of pilgrims, mendicant monks with staffs and traditional hats, palanquin bearers, and street figures carrying bundles and travel boxes.
* Left page: A procession with a harnessed packhorse led by attendants, accompanied by travelers on foot from various walks of life.
* Seals/Inscriptions: Central cartouche 東海道 (Tōkaidō) and 上四 (Jō-yon / Upper Section 4). Red collector's/publisher's seal.

3. "Landscapes of the Tōkaidō Road with Poems" (Tōkaidō Jō-san)
* Subject: A delicate landscape scene in two panels, combining Hiroshige's mastery of nature and perspective with poetic calligraphy (kyōka or haiku).
* Right page: View of a wooded hill with ancient pine trees (matsu) and thatched-roof houses near a stream, enlivened by small passing figures.
* Left page: Riverside landscape with a wooden bridge, sandy banks, and distant mountains. Elegant calligraphic inscriptions and ancient poetic verses appear at the top.
* Seals/Inscriptions: Central cartouche 東海道 (Tōkaidō) and 上三 (Jō-san / Upper Section 3). Artist's/publisher's seals printed in red.


* Overall condition: Good / Very good for its age (mid-19th century).
* Details: The sheets retain their original central fold from the illustrated book (ehon). Original period colors are well preserved, with slight, natural fading over time (vegetable/mineral pigments). There is the expected yellowing of the washi paper, minor foxing, and small period creases consistent with the age of the work.
* Framing: Supplied already mounted in simple wooden frames with neutral mats/backing.

The work Tōkaidō Fūkei Zue represents one of Utagawa Hiroshige's most interesting contributions to the ehon (illustrated book) genre. Unlike his celebrated ōban-format series devoted to the Stations of the Tōkaidō, these illustrations offer an intimate, detailed, almost ethnographic glimpse of everyday life, local customs, pilgrims' attire, and the landscapes along the road connecting Edo (Tokyo) to Kyoto during the final years of the Tokugawa period.

Carefully packed, tracked shipping