JAPANESE ART > UKIYO-E WOODBLOCK PRINTS > HANAMURASAKI OF THE TAMARO HOUSE

Lot 00781
N.1 ukiyo-e woodblock print

Utagawa Kunisada II

HANAMURASAKI OF THE TAMARO HOUSE

Year: 1861
Condition: fair
Size: 25 x 36 cm

SOLD

Elegant polychrome woodblock print of vertical large oban (大判) format, taken from the series "A Mirror of Beauties Drawn from Life" (生写美人鏡) by the artist Utagawa Kunisada II (二代目歌川国貞) and depicting the courtesan Hanamurasaki (花紫), of the house of pleasure Tamaro (玉楼), intent on putting on the finger picks to play a koto (箏) zither.

The complete title of the work is "Shin Yoshiwara, Edocho Itchome: Tamaro uchi Hanamurasaki" (新吉原江戸町壱丁目玉楼うち花紫), that is "Hanamurasaki of the House Tamaro, on the First Block of Edocho in Shin Yoshiwara District".

The rare print, produced in 1861 by the publisher Joshuya Juzo (上州屋重蔵), owner of Kinjudo (錦重堂), and by the carver Uemura Yasugoro (上邑安五郎), shows evident signs of aging of the washi paper (和紙), in particular slight spots, but is in overall fair condition.

Back to home page »