Comments - Fantastic, rare nine-panel print depicting a procession celebrating the thirtieth anniversary of Edo as the "Eastern Capital" (Tokyo) of the Meiji Imperial government. The extensive parade is similar to a traditional daimyo procession with the addition of Shinto religious elements. A group of sumo wrestlers leads the way carrying a fluttering banner, followed by Shinto priests in black robes, a group of fully armored samurai, and beauties with bright blue umbrellas. Sets of porters carry trunks like those used to transport personal effects during daimyo processions. The clothing worn by most of the participants reflects historic styles, rather than contemporary dress, since by 1898 samurai no longer existed in the legal sense. Most of the men have tucked their robes up to keep dust and mud off their clothing. This is an outstanding print of a famous Meiji historic event, beautifully drawn with wonderful color and shading and terrific attention to detail, including faint embossing on the furry white standards.

Chikanobu is best known for his mastery of the triptych form, producing some of the most compelling triptych subjects of the Meiji era, however, he also created a few other multi-panel prints. This nine-panel woodblock is the largest single print design we have ever seen by Chikanobu. These extra-large designs are very rare. He only produced a handful of these striking and incredible designs, and most times panels were lost or destroyed in the intervening years. This makes our offer of the complete nine-panel piece an outstanding opportunity for a collector to own what is perhaps one of Chikanobu's rarest prints. An exceptional woodblock, we've rarely seen all nine panels together before, and we are excited to be able to offer this fantastic piece to our Fuji Arts customers.

Artist - Chikanobu (1838 - 1912)

Image Size - 14" x 84 5/8"

Condition - This print with good color and detail as shown. Nine attached panels, backed with somewhat paper. Vertical folds between panels. Curling and vertical creases from rolled storage, some ink bleeding, a few spots. Please note, due to the size, this print will be shipped rolled. Please see photos for details.