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.
Gihachi Okuyama's Japan Print Institute – This high-quality reprint set was published by the Japan Print Institute. In 1946, woodblock print artist Gihachi or Gihachiro Okuyama created the Japan Print Institute (Nippon Hanga Kenkyusho) along with other artists to help re-establish traditional Japanese woodblock printing, which had fallen out of favor. The Tokyo studio produced fine woodblock reprints of classic ukiyo-e subjects, including works by Hiroshige. Unfortunately, the institute did not do well financially and was closed, possibly around 1954. These high-quality images are beautifully printed and detailed, with lovely color and soft bokashi shading.
This Complete Set - This terrific, complete boxed set comprises reprints of the 53 stations plus the starting point, Nihonbashi, and the ending point, Kyoto, for a total of 55 oban size reprints, along with a table of contents and a map of the Tokaido Road. Each reprint comes in an individual windowed viewing folder with the station name and text in English on a tissue paper cover. The prints are stored in a traditional, cloth-covered case with toggle closures in an outer box. The set also includes a leaflet and two text pages in Japanese. These oban size reprints are incredibly detailed and beautifully colored, demonstrating amazing carving and printing skills. This is a terrific opportunity to acquire a complete set of Hiroshige's iconic "Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido" series in a fine boxed presentation as issued by the publisher.
Artist - Hiroshige (1797 - 1858)
Size - Each image 8 3/4" x 14" + margins as shown; folder 13 1/8" x 18 7/8"; overall size
Condition - Prints with excellent color and detail as shown. Mounted on reverse at two points along top edge to folder. A few prints have faint toning or a few spots. Please see photos for details. Generally in nice to excellent condition overall.
Examples from the Set
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