Series; The Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido by Two Brushes
Seiki, 1855 - Handsome design from a Tokaido series jointly designed by Hiroshige and Toyokuni III between 1854 - 1857. Hiroshige created the landscape backgrounds while Toyokuni III designed the large figures in the foreground. Here, a beauty encounters the blind musician Semimaru playing the biwa or Japanese lute. She pauses to look down at him as he sits calmly, holding the instrument across his lap. She has a lovely white kimono patterned with delicate grasses draped over her head, and carries an ornate black lacquer box tied with a blue tasseled cord. The landscape shows a steep hill at Seki, with tiny figures making their way up the pathway framed by tall trees towards the inn at the top. A charming design, beautifully detailed with embossing in the white kimono and trim, and soft shading in the mountain.
Artist - Hiroshige (1797 - 1858) and Toyokuni III/Kunisada (1786 - 1864)
Image Size - 9 1/2" x 13 3/8"
Condition - With excellent color and detail. Some creasing and thinning at right edge. A number of small holes and losses repaired from reverse, a few small holes remain. Please see photos for details. Good overall.
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