Kobayashi Kiyochika, 1847-1915

Fine Weather after Snowfall at the Old Inner Keep of Edo Castle
(Kyu Honmaru yukibare)

signed discreetly at lower left, Kobayashi Kiyochika hitsu, the title along the bottom margin, Kyu Honmaru yukibare, the date and publication information on the right-hand margin in three sections; top: on todoke Meiji ju - nen - gatsu - ka (registered, Meiji 10 [1877-?], -month - day) followed by the publisher's information, Fukuda Kumajiro located in Hasegawa-cho, and the artist, Gako Kobayashi Kiyochika ga, with his address in Yonezawa-cho, ca. 1879-80

oban yoko-e 9 1/4 by 13 1/4 in., 23.5 by 33.5 cm

Although this print appears to be dated Meiji 10 [1877], the gap between Meiji ju (Meiji 10) and nen (year of) indicates it was the publisher's intention to insert another character, most likely a 2 or 3 for 1879 or 1880, which corresponds to the dating format of other designs with this configuration of the publication cartouche.

References:
Tokichi Sakai, Kiyochika, The Japan Association for the Preservation of Ukiyo-e, translation by N.S. Gankow, 1969, no. 90
Hideki Kikkawa, Kobayashi Kiyochika: Studies in Light and Shadow of the Westernization of Japan, Seigensha Art Publishing, 2015, p. 70, nos. 94-96 (variant impressions)
Kobayashi Kiyochika: A Retrospective, Machida City Museum of Graphic Arts, 2016, p. 54, no. 69
(inv. no. 10-4843)

$1,100