No. 112, December 1999

Selections from the NDL Collection
"Edo kinko hakkei no uchi"

Edo kinko hakkei no uchi (Eight scenes around Edo)
Author:Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858)
Imprint:ca. 1838
Description:Album (8 leaves), 31.5 x 43.0 cm
Contents:
The series of eight large-size Nishiki-e (colored woodblock print) is among the most important works of Utagawa Hiroshige, the great master of Japanese Ukiyo-e wood-block print and also renowned as a landscape artist. The series shows the natural beauty of Edo (present-day Tokyo).
The first edition published by Kikakudo was ordered and financed by Taihaido Nomimasu, kyoka poet, probably as presents for his company. Three or four kyoka (humorous and satirical Japanese poems of thirty-one syllables) related to each scene are written in the open spaces.
The prints exhibited are a latter edition and some of the kyoka have been deleted or changed. The complete set of eight prints is rare and valuable.

Click on the little images below to go to the standard size images
or on the title to go to the large images.

Azumanomori yosame (Night rain at Azumanomori)	Haneda rakugan (Wild geese alighting at Haneda)
Gyotoku kihan (Returning sailboats near Gyotoku)	Tamagawa shugetsu (Autumn moon over Tamagawa River)
Koganeibashi Yusho (Sunset at Koganei Bridge)	Shibaura Seiran (Shibaura after the storm)
Ikegami bansho (Evening bell at Ikegami)	Asukayama bosetsu (Evening snow scene at Asukayama)

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