Hiroshige’s Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido - In 1832, Hiroshige first traveled from his home in Edo (Tokyo) to Kyoto along the Tokaido road. The journey was an eye opening and life changing experience for him. As an urban man of Edo he had experienced life mainly in the capital. He immediately returned to Edo after the trip and began his masterwork woodblock series from the sketches he had made on his journey. Hiroshige's Tokaido prints are an opportunity to be transported back in time to see this world as Hiroshige did in the shadow of the Tokugawa Shogunate.

Drying Strips of Gourd at Minakuchi - Interesting view of the village of Minakuchi, a small stop on the Tokaido Road following the mountainous Tsuchiyama region. In the foreground, three women are at work preparing kampyo (dried slices of gourd) to sell to travelers, cutting thin strips and hanging them to dry. At right, another woman drapes gourd strips along a section of bamboo fence in front of the thatched roofed houses of the village. Distant mountains appear in soft blue silhouette. Attractively colored and shaded.

Woodblock reprints - In the 20th century, artists and publishers collaborated to recreate famous woodblock prints for interested Japanese collectors and Westerners looking for rare designs. New blocks were made, and the prints were painstakingly printed by artisan printers in the same method as the 19th century originals - one block for each color. Woodblock reprints were an opportunity to collect and enjoy a famous design at a small fraction of the price of an original. They still are today.

Artist - Hiroshige (1797 - 1858)

Image Size - 8 5/8" x 13 3/4" + margins as shown

Condition - This print with excellent color and detail as shown. Please see photos for details. Very nice condition overall.