Edo prints
| Design: | Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858) | |||||
| Title: | Part moon above both sides of the Sumida river | |||||
| Series title: | Twelve views of the silver snowscape of the East | |||||
| Size: | 23.4 x 34.2 cm (ōban) | |||||
| Posthumous printing from the original woodblocks | ||||||
| Photography: | Jacques Commandeur |
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Special effects: white urushi (i.e., lacquer) on all the trees and on a few other parts of the print. Silver metallic pigment on the title cartouche in the right margin.
Originally issued ca 1835-1838 by publisher Izumiya Ichibei. This is a later edition published by Matsui Eikichi ca. 1896.
This is a view in Edo from the eastbank towards the westbank of the Sumida river. In the foreground is the torii of Mimeguri shrine. On the westbank we see Matsuchiyama hill with Shōden shrine on its top and Imado bridge crossing the mouth of the San’yabori canal on its right.
Artist’s signature at the top right of the print area:
| Character | Reading | Meaning | Translation |
| 廣 | hiro | broad | |
| 重 | shige | heavy | Picture by |
| 画 | ga | picture | Hiroshige |
Series title in silver cartouche in right margin of the print:
| Character | Reading | Meaning | Translation |
| 銀 | gin | silver | |
| 世 | se | world | |
| 界 | kai | world | |
| 東 | azuma | east | |
| 十 | jū | ten | |
| 二 | ni | two | Twelve views of the |
| 景 | kei | view | silver snowscape of the East |
Followed by print title:
| Character | Reading | Meaning | Translation |
| 隅 | sumi | corner | |
| 田 | ta | ricefield | |
| 川 | kawa | river | |
| 両 | ryō | both | |
| 川 | kawa | river | |
| 岸 | gishi | side | |
| 一 | ichi | one | |
| 目 | moku | eye | |
| 之 | no | ’s | Part moon above | 月 | gatsu | moon | both sides of the Sumida river |
Printing and publishing dates and publisher’s address and name in middle of bottom margin (from right to left):
| Character | Reading | Meaning | Translation |
| 明 | mei | light | |
| 治 | ji | government | Meiji era, |
| 十十 | ni jū | twenty | |
| 九 | yū | nine | |
| 年 | nen | year | the 29th year (= 1896), |
| 七 | shichi | seven | |
| 月 | gatsu | month | the 7th month (July), |
| 二 | ni | two | |
| 十 | jū | ten | |
| 日 | nichi | day | the 20th day, |
| 印 | in | stamp | |
| 刷 | satsu | printing; | |
| 今 | kon | now | |
| 年 | nen | year | the same year, |
| 八 | hachi | eight | |
| 月 | gatsu | month | the 8th month (August), |
| 三 | san | three | |
| 日 | nichi | day | the 3rd day, |
| 発 | hatsu | publish | |
| 行 | kō | go | issue |
| 画 | ga | picture | |
| 作 | saku | make | painting |
| 印 | in | stamp | |
| 刷 | satsu | printing | |
| 兼 | ken | combine | |
| 発 | hatsu | publish | |
| 行 | kō | go | |
| 者 | sha | person | cumulative publisher |
| 東 | tō | east | |
| 京 | kyō | capital | |
| 市 | shi | city | Tokyo city, |
| 京 | kyō | capital | |
| 橋 | hashi | bridge | Kyōbashi, |
| 南 | minami | south | |
| 金 | kin | gold | |
| 六 | roku | six | |
| 町 | chō | quarter | Minamikinroku quarter, |
| 十十十 | san jū | thirty | |
| 番 | ban | number | |
| 地 | chi | land | number 30, |
| 松 | matsu | pine | |
| 井 | i | a well | |
| 栄 | ei | glory | |
| 吉 | kichi | good luck | Matsui Eikichi |
References
- Ross Walker’s JAODB website here.
Provenance: Dieter Wanczura’s Artelino website