THE FIFTH MONTH (Utagawa Kunisada)

Lot 00734
N.1 ukiyo-e woodblock print
Period: 1847-52
Condition: signs of aging
Size: 24 x 36 cm

SOLD

Description

Refined original mid 19th century wooblock print of the Genji-e (源氏絵) genre, dedicated to the sixteenth chapter of the literary parody “A False Murasaki and a Country Genji” (偐紫田舎源氏) and depicting the scene in which lady Katsuragi (桂樹), recovered from her illness, observes the protagonist Mitsuuji (光氏) washing his hands.

The work, produced in a period between 1847 and 1852 by the publisher Minatoya Kohei (湊屋小兵衛), is taken from the series “The Twelve Months” (十二ヶ月のうち) by the famous artist Utagawa Kunisada (歌川国貞) and is paired with the “fifth month” Satsuki (皐つき).

The print on Japanese washi paper (和紙), despite the right signs of aging including slight stains and a wormhole in the upper right corner, is in fair condition.