319 - Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797–1861)

Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797–1861) Fifty-Three Stations of the Tōkaidō (a series created in collaboration with Hiroshige, Kunisada, and Kuniyoshi) Station No. 1: Nihonbashi—The Courtesan, the Little Girl, and Ukiyo Toys Rather than depicting the bridge’s traditional bustling market scene, Kuniyoshi chooses an intimate and elegant scene: a beautiful courtesan dressed in a dark-checkered kimono stands on the bridge, identifiable by the large wooden pillar adorned with a bronze capital at the far left. A young girl accompanies her and holds in her hand a traditional ukiyo-ningyo (floating-world doll) depicting an actor or a hero. The presence of these toys in Nihonbashi directly echoes the neighboring district of Jitchome, the capital’s hub for the manufacture and sale of dolls and toys. The upper cartouche, shaped like a double heart (or the Buddhist inome motif), contains a poem by Umeya, calligraphied above delicate purple clouds. Woodblock print Signed: “Ichiyusai Kuniyoshi ga” on the right side of the print, followed by the artist’s red “kiri” seal Period: Edo (1845/46 (Koka 2–3)) Seal: round “nanushi” Publisher: Ibaya Senzaburo (Dansendo) Engraver: Horiko Fusajiro Format: Oban tate-e Fresh colors. Missing sections, binding holes, and wormholes in the left margin. Right margin trimmed. Slight soiling.