1964 After "Kiyonaga Pleasure Boating Under the Okawa Bridge", Full-Color Print From Japan

Description

A stunning large full-color Ukiyo-E Hanga print after original woodblock print "Pleasure Boating Under the Okawa Bridge" by Kiyonaga (1752-1815), … more A stunning large full-color Ukiyo-E Hanga print after original woodblock print "Pleasure Boating Under the Okawa Bridge" by Kiyonaga (1752-1815), one part of Triptych. Comes from a rare Collection of 24 Masterpieces by Kiyonaga. Produced & published by Shuei-Sha, Tokyo, in July 1964. Printers: Toppan Printing Co., LTD. Printed on one side. Attached at the top to a board of heavy textured paper, covered with lighter sheet of paper for protection, numbered 13 on the label on the front of the cover. Excellent condition - minor edge wear on the board and cover, never framed, ready to be framed. Copy of the commentary by Dr. Kiyoshi Shibui (below) in Japanese and English is included.

Overall (folded) 12.55"W x 18.20"H
Overall (unfolded) 25"W x 18.20"H
Image 9.90"W x 14.30"H

Commentary by Ukiyo-e Art consultant & editor Dr. Kiyoshi Shibui:
Nishiki-e O-ban, Tate-e, Triptych
Signature: signed KIYONAGA
Printers: Unidentified
Date: 1785
In the possession of Tokyo National Museum

Summer boating in the evening was a popular subject in the Ukiyo-E tradition. It was taken up in brocade prints by HARUNOBU and UTAMARO in quantity. KIYONAGA and UTAMARO used this theme for their triptychs a great deal. Some of the boats featured were elaborate type, but the one this picture takes up is a roofed simple boat, and a plane barge accompanying it. Fishing from a boat is a fascinating thing. I remember a net-fishing I did from a boat once, around the Kototoi bridge of Asakusa, and the excitement I experienced when grey mulled half a meter long was caught on my net. Under the bridge is an excellent place to fish and enjoy the cool air. The bridge in this picture is the Okawa bridge because the river banks visible beyond are those of Mikojima. This is the bridge built for the first time after the great fire of Meiwa. The dedication ceremony was held on October 17 of the 3rd year of Anei (1775). It was officially called Okawa bridge but soon people began to call it by different names they invented. As of the time when it was rebuilt in Meiji era, the name was Azuma bridge and the original name of Okawa had been quite forgotten.

The picture depicts pleasure boating as seen from the Okawa bridge. Breeze from the river is brushing by the sleeves of spectators on the bridge. The human figures are cleverly distributed to create the sense of distance.

Just a word about the relationship of bridges with Edo (former name of Tokyo) culture. Because the city was an armed city when it began, there was no bridge over the Okawa. And the history of the Edo plebeian culture is at once the history of the bridge in Edo. The Ryogoku bridge was built for the first time in 1660 after the great fire of Meireki, and for the second time in 1693 and called Shin-Ohashi, and for the 3rd time in 1698 to be called this time Eitai-bashi. The 3 bridges cover the first period of Edo culture. The second half of it is represented by the said 3 bridges plus the Okawa bridge, covering the period of 100 years. Today the Okawa river has innumerable bridges built over it, Shirahige, Kototoi, Komagata, even the viaduct of Tobu railway. less