Utagawa Kunisada (Toyokuni III)

1786-1865

Hand-Printed in Purple, Ashikaga Pictures of the Twelve Months: Third Month
(Ashikaga kinutezome no Murasaki junigatsu no uchi: Yayoi)

each sheet signed Toyokuni ga within artist's toshidama-shaped cartouche, the left sheet signed hayami Kunihisa hojo ('helped' by Kunihisa), with publisher's seal of Yamadaya Shojiro (Kinkyodo) on each sheet, with zodiac date seal uma-ju (year of the horse [1858], 10th month), 1858

oban tate-e triptych 14 1/4 by 28 3/4 in., 36.2 by 73 cm

Mitsuuji stands on a pleasure boat while he watches women digging for clams (shiohigari) at low tide of Shinagawa. Kunisada's student Kunihisa signed the left-hand sheet indicating that he helped with this composition. It seems likely that Kunisada prepared the primary images in the foreground including Mitsuuji and the four closest women, leaving the plethora of figures in the background and the landscape for Kunihisa to complete.

Reference:
Andreas Marks, Genji's World in Japanese Woodblock Prints, 2012, Appendix I, p. 112, no. 49, G340-03
(inv. no. 10-0944)

price: $1,400