UTAGAWA KUNIYOSHI (1797-1861) AND UTAGAWA HIROSHIGE (1797-1858)
A Group of Four Woodblock Prints
Edo period (1615-1868), circa 1842-1845
Three by Kuniyoshi, the first a chū-tanzaku print entitled Kinoe, Bingo Saburō (Wood: First Rank, Bingo Saburō), depicting Takanori Saburō writing a message of encouragement to the captive Emperor Go Daigo on the trunk of a cherry tree, from the series Buyū gogyō (Heroic Warriors for the Five Elements), signed Ichiyūsai Kuniyoshi ga, published by Minatoya Kohei; two ōban tate-e prints signed Ichiyūsai Kuniyoshi ga comprising Kawasaki: The Death of Nitta Yoshioki at the Yaguchi Ferry, from the series Tōkaidō gojūsan tsui (53 Pairings for the Tōkaidō Road), published by Kojima Jūbei, and Ono no Tōfū, from the series Chūkō meiyo kijin den (Lives of Remarkable People Renowned for Loyalty and Virtue), published by Enshūya Matabei; and an ōban tate-e print depicting Sukenari and Tokimune fighting in the rain, from the series Soga monogatari zue (Illustrated Tale of the Soga Brothers), signed Hiroshige ga, published by Yorozuya Kichibei (4)
14 1/4 x 9 5/8in (36.2 x 24.4cm), the largest