"Candy Seller" (YiMairiuzumatsu ShiCunYuZuoWeiMen) Japanese Woodblock on Rice Paper

This piece depicts Ichimura Uzaemon as the Candy Peddler Uzumatsu. He is playing a stringed instrument (the shamisen) to attract people to come buy canbdy. The spiral on his clothing is the symbol of the candy seller, along with his crest of the mandarin orange.
This Utagawa Yoshiiku print, titled "Umegoyomi mitate hachi shojin" (MeiLiJianLiBaXiaoRen), depicts a scene from the Edo period. The print features a prominent male figure playing a shamisen, a traditional Japanese stringed instrument. The text on the print is in Japanese, and the overall style is characteristic of Ukiyo-e, a genre of Japanese woodblock prints. Utagawa Yoshiiku was a significant artist of the Meiji era, known for his contributions to woodblock printmaking. He was a student of Utagawa Kuniyoshi and worked alongside Tsukioka Yoshitoshi. His works often portray historical events, scenes from Kabuki plays, and contemporary life. This print, in particular, showcases the artist's skill in capturing the details of clothing, facial expressions, and the musical instrument.

Presented in a new blue mat with foam core backing.
Mat size: 18"H x 14"W
Paper size: 16"H x 12"W

Born the son of teahouse proprietor Asakusa Tamichi in 1833, Utagawa Yoshiiku (also known as Ochiai Yoshiiku) became a student of ukiyo-e artist Utagawa Kuniyoshi toward the end of the 1840s. His earliest known work dates to 1852 when he provided the backgrounds to some actor prints by his master.

Yoshiiku's earliest works were portraits of actors (yakusha-e), beauties (bijin-ga), and warriors (musha-e). He later followed Kuniyoshi into making satirical and humorous pieces, and became the leading name in the field after Kuniyosh's death in 1861. He illustrated the Tokyo Nichi Nichi Shimbun ("Tokyo Daily News") from 1874 to 1876, and then co-founded the Tokyo E-iri Shinbun ("Tokyo Illustrated News"). The latter folded in 1889, and Yoshiiku returned to making prints. He struggled during his last years, and his last known print appeared in 1903. His three known students, Ikumura, Ikuei, and Ikumasa, failed to achieve recognition.

Yoshiiku had ten children with his second wife, only one of whom survived childhood. Yoshiiku died at age 71 in a temporary residence on 6 February 1904 in Honjo. He was buried at Anseiji temple in Asakusa and given the posthumous Buddhist name Juzen'in Hokinikkaku Koji.

(Biography from Wikipedia)


Condition:
Alterations: Original Condition Unaltered
Imperfections: Some Imperfections
Condition Notes: Some yellowing to paper, as expected. Small punctures in upper right corner.

Origin:
Japan

Materials & Techniques:
Paper, Woodcut

Details:
Country of Origin: Japan
What type of item is it? Vintage / Antique / Used
Art Subjects: Figure
Frame Type: Unframed

Original Condition Unaltered; Some Imperfections; Some yellowing to paper, as expected. Small punctures in upper right corner.