Utagawa Kunisada (Toyokuni III)

1786-1865

Relationships of the Twelve Hours: Hour of the Sheep
(Sono yukari juniji no uchi: Hitsuji no koku)

signed Toyokuni ga within the artist's toshidama-shaped cartouche on each sheet, with engraver Yokogawa Iwa's seal Yokogawa hori gan, publisher's seal To (bei) Yamaguchi (Yamaguchi-ya), and Aratame & date seal (1859, 6th month)

oban tate-e triptych 14 by 28 3/4 in., 35.7 by 72.9 cm

This print is from the only Inaka Genji series framed by the 'Twelve Period of the Day' (junitoki) which are based on the Chinese zodiac symbols used to count years, months, days and hours.

Reference:
Andreas Marks, Genji's World in Japanese Woodblock Prints, 2012, p.270, G342-08
(inv. no. 10-0897)

price: $1,250