Hiroshige, Utagawa (Japanese, 1797-1858), Kinokuni Hill and Distant View of Akasaka Tameike (Kinokunizaka Akasaka Tameike enkei), plate 85 from the series One Hundred Famous Views of Edo, showing a procession of samurai, 1857, original Ukiyo-e color woodblock, vertical oban, image 13 x 8.5 inches (33.3 x 21.9 cm) and the full sheet 14 x 9.25 inches (35.5 x 23.5cm), unframed, Japanese text within yellow and red boxes inside the plate, two black stamps to the upper right margin, stamp to the lower left margin is only partially present. Provenance: Gift from Marjorie and Martin Mitau to a member of the Roxburghe Club, housed in a folder printed by the Grabhorn Press for the occasion. Martin Mitau and Marjorie (nee Fleishhacker) Mitau were both San Franciscans who lived in the Bay Area all their lives. He was a member of Roxburghe Club of San Francisco and the Book Club of California, and their collection was strong in California fine printing. Despite the Mitau's large collection, the front of the folder has two major errors: it refers to the series as "120 Views of Yedo" (it's supposed to be 100 Views) and the date of the printing as 1858 (it's actually 1857).
Condition
Image in good condition, small crease near the lower left corner and another near the upper center, colors still pretty bold, few small areas of light handling or discoloration; the sheet is trimmed along the left side; loss to tip of the sheet at upper left corner; the print has been backed with a very thin paper and part of that backing has been stained or has started to peel off, but none of those issues are visible from the front. Merchandise will be packed and transported by the purchaser at their own risk and expense. A list of recommended shippers is on our website: https://www.conceptgallery.com/auctions/shipping/ .