Utagawa Kunisada (歌川国貞) / Toyokuni III (三代豊国) (artist 1786 – 01/12/1865)
An evening stroll along the Sumida River near the Ryōgoku Bridge Tōto Ryōgoku yūryō no ga (東都両国夕涼の画)
1818
10.25 in x 15 in (Overall dimensions) Japanese color woodblock print
Signed: Kunisada ga (国貞画)
Publisher: Yamashiroya Sahei
(Marks 603 - seal 01-027)
Seal: kiwame
Edo-Tokyo Museum - a similar triptych by Sadafusa It isn't obvious right off, but this print appears to be fairly to extremely rare. Why? Because despite extensive searches we have been unable to find another copy of it anywhere. That is not totally uncommon, but add to that the it has a publisher's seal for Yamashiroya Sahei, as identified by Andreas Marks. While we can find a ton of books published by this house we have been unable to find another single print ascribed to them.
A group of bijin and a sumō wrestler in street attire taking the cool evening air beside the Sumida River. In the background rockets are exploding above the Ryōgoku Bridge. An early, rare and interesting Kunisada design.
The large boat on the left in the middle ground has alternating lanterns with the kanji characters that make up the name Utagawa (歌川), Kunisada's artists' group. In the middle left just below the rolled bamboo shade roof is a panel which shows what may be an advertisement for the play Shibaraku illustrating an Ichikawa Danjūrō crest being shown on both of the voluminous sleeves. A common workman in the lower right, right next to the illustrated screen, appears to be wiping his mouth after taking a bite out of a piece of watermelon.
The fellow in the front left, standing next to the two young beauties, is carrying a lantern decorated with the maru ni mitsu kashiwa motif, a crest found on other prints by Shuncho, Eisen and Utamaro, often in connection with the early 19th century beauty Ohisa. The maru ni mitsu kashiwa (丸に三つ柏) is a crest made up of three oak leaves enclosed within a circle. This was a mon used by several samurai families and as we believe certain commercial establishments.
This oak leaf crest also shows up on a lantern in an Eisen triptych in the Lyon Collection at #406.
Historical - Social - Ephemera (genre)
Yamashiroya Sahei (山城屋佐兵衛) (publisher)
Ryōgokubashi (両国橋) (genre)