Elegant triptych of woodblock prints depicting a noble wedding ceremony, made in 1896 by the famous artist Toyohara Chikanobu (豊原周延), in collaboration with the publisher Hasegawa Tsunejiro (長谷川常治郎), for the series “Images of Noble Ladies in the Tokugawa Era” (徳川時代貴婦人の図). The social structure of the Edo period (江戸時代) developed under the strict control of the Tokugawa military regime. During this period, the families of the shogunate and provincial leaders daimyo (大名) arranged marriages based on political interests, and the consent of the shogunate was necessary for a daimyo wedding. The betrothed always came from the same social strata and the formal wedding ceremonies were based on Muromachi period (室町時代) conventions. The precious work on Japanese washi paper (和紙), despite the obvious patina of the time, is in good general condition. Overall Size 29” x 18”

24 x 32 x 4 in

6 lb