587. KATSUSHIKA HOKUSAI (1760 - 1849). "THIRTY-SIX VIEWS OF MOUNT FUJI", PUBLISHED BY YOHACHI NISHIMURA (EIJUDŌ), EDO PERIOD, CIRCA 1840.

Lot description

 "Ukiyo-e" woodblock print on rice paper, known as “nishiki-e”. The 36 prints are bound in concertina with flyleaves decorated with fragments of silver leaf.
 
The prints are woodcut titled and hand-signed.
 
The original edition was published in 1830 to great acclaim, as it was the largest series of ‘nishiki-e’ dedicated solely to landscape published in the Japanese Empire. Nishimuraya Yohachi and his disciples were some of the leading publishers of "ukiyo-e" in Japan from the late 18th century and were based in Nihonbashi under the name of Eijudö. The publication was so well received by the audience that ten more prints were published in 1831, thus complementing the collection. Thus, from 1834 onwards, the publications contained forty-six engravings. Hokusai himself supervised the inking process, experimenting freely with colours and modifying them in numerous variations [1]. These publications were stamped with the publisher's seal to guarantee censorship [2]. 
 
This lot is part of later publications, circa 1840, as it includes thirty-one prints from the original publication and five from the later one. As we have already mentioned, censorship seals were an element that determined the quality of the work, and in this case we can see this mark, as two of the prints bear the censorship seal (‘Kiwame’) and the signature of the publisher Nishimuraya Yohachi (Eijudö), who acted as censor.
 
This lot is part of later publications, circa 1840, as it includes thirty-one prints from the original publication and five from the later one. As we have already mentioned, censorship seals were an element that determined the quality of the work, and in this case we can see this mark, as two of the prints bear the censorship seal (‘Kiwame’) and the signature of the publisher Nishimuraya Yohachi (Eijudö), who acted as censor.
 
This copy comprises thirty-one prints from the initial and five from the additional publication, including ‘The Great Wave of Kanagawa’ (Kanagawa oki nami-ura).
 
Prints from the first issue:
- The great wave of Kanagawa (Kanagawa oki nami-ura).
- Red Fuji (Gaifü kaisei).
- Storm below the summit (Sanja hakü).
- Under the Mannen bridge in Fukagawa (Fukagawa Mannen-bashi shita).
- Sundai in Edo (Töto sundai).
- Round pine trees in Aoyama (Aoyama enza-no-matsu).
- Senju in Musashi Province (Bushü Senju).
- Inume Pass in Kai Province (Köshü inume-töge).
- View of Fuji from a field in Owari Province (Bishü Fujimigahara).
- Eijiri in Suruga Province (Sunshü Ejiri).
- Sunset across the Ryögoku Bridge from the bank of Sumida River in Onmayagashi (Ommayagashi yori ryögoku-bashi yühi mi).
- Sazai Hall at the temple of the five hundred rakan (Gohaku-rakanji Sazaidö).
- The morning after a snowfall in Koishikawa (Koishikawa yuki no ashita).
- Southern Meguro (Shimo-Meguro).
- Water mill in Onden (Onden no suisha).
- Enoshima in Sagami Province (Soshü Enoshima).
- Tago Bay near Ejiri in the Tökaidö (Tökaidö Ejiri tago-no-ura).
- Yoshida on the Tökaidö (Tökaidö Yoshida).
- Nihonbashi Bridge in Edo (Edo Nihon-bashi).
- Noboto Bay (Noboto-ura).
- Hakone Lake in Sagami Province (Söshü Hakone kosui).
- Reflection in Misaka Lake in Kai Province (Köshü Misaka suimen).
- Tama River in Musashi Province (Bushü Tamagawa).
- Tsukuda Island in Musashi Province (Buyö Tsukuda-jima).
- Shichiri Beach in Sagami Prefecture (Soshü Shichiri-ga-hama).
- Umezawa in Sagami Prefecture (Soshü umezawanoshö).
- Kajikazawa in Kai province (Köshü Kajikazawa).
- Mishima Pass in Kai Province (Köshü Mishima-goe).
- In the mountains of Tötömi Province (Tötömi sanchü).
- A view of Mount Fuji behind Lake Suwa (Shinshü Suwa-ko).
- Ushibori in Hitachi Province (Jöshü Ushibori).
 
Prints from the additional issue:
- Fuji from Goten Hill in Shinagawa in Tökaidö (Tökaidö Shinagawa Goten'yama no Fuji).
- Öno Shinden in Suruga Province (Sunshü Öno-shinden).
- Climbing Fuji (Shojin tozan).
- Fuji from the tea fields of Katakura in Suruga Province (Sunshü Katakura chaen no Fuji).
- Fuji from Kanaya in the Tökaidö (Tökaidö Kanaya no Fuji).
 
Present condition of the lot:
Some of the prints have light moisture stains, as well as handwritten notes in pencil from former ownership.
The flyleaves have handwritten notes in pencil, moisture stains and the former owner's ex libris.
 
25.1 x 36.6 cm. (closed publication).
 
[1] Crespo Fajardo, J.L. [José Luis]. Pillacela Chin, L. [Luis] (October 2017). ‘Hokusai y las vistas del Monte Fuji' [lecture]. VI Congreso Virtual Internacional Arte y Sociedad: Paradigmas digitales, Spain: https://www.academia.edu/41417867/Hokusai_y_las_Vistas_del_Monte_Fuji
[2]‘Identification of censor seals’ http://mywoodprints.free.fr/nanushi/nanushi.html