Japanese Woodblock Print, originally published between 1834 and 1842, this is a Showa era edition published by Watanabe from recarved woodblocks

SIZE IN INCHES: oban, approx. 10.5 x 15.5 inches

COMMENTS: Number 28 from the Kisokaido Road Series

THE TOKAIDO AND THE KISOKAIDO, both running between Kyoto and Edo, were the most popularly traveled of the gokaido. The Tokaido flat, mostly level paralleled the eastern seaboard and involved the crossing of twelve rivers and a few larger bodies of water, such as Ise Bay and Lake Hamanako, as well. Regardless of the necessity of ferry crossings, which sometimes involved rough waves and long waits, the weather was relatively warm and pleasant, and thus the Tokaido was a preferred route. On the other hand, the Kisokaido, ran through deep mountain valleys and along treacherous cliffs and was often cold even during the early and late summers. Nonetheless, it was the favored route of the imperial family, the nobility and their princesses, and the family of the shogun. The most famous journey along the Nakasendo is, perhaps, that of the princess Kazunomiya, who traveled to Edo in 1862 to marry the fourteenth Tokugawa shogun, Iemochi. Her retinue consisted of some twenty-five thousand men, which backed up some of the more difficult passes for weeks.

HIROSHIGE UTAGAWA or Ando Hiroshige (1797-1858) was a Japanese artist during the 19th century and is considered the last great master of the ukiyo-e movement. His approach was more poetic and ambient than the typical ukiyo-e style, and his innovative compositions were a great influence to Western painters, such as Vincent van Gogh. The term ukiyo-e translates to "pictures of the floating world" and refers to a genre of Japanese art with a wide span of imagery such as kabuki actors, folk tales, landscapes, and even erotica. This movement was critical in forming the Western perception of Japanese art.

Fine, no flaws