HIROSHIGE: chu-tanzaku (37.4 x 12.4 cm.); The crescent moon and owl perched on pine branches, signed Hiroshige hitsu and sealed Ichiryusai- very good impression and condition, gauffrage, color slightly faded, slight wear, the top and bottom edges restored

Details
HIROSHIGE: chu-tanzaku (37.4 x 12.4 cm.); The crescent moon and owl perched on pine branches, signed Hiroshige hitsu and sealed Ichiryusai- very good impression and condition, gauffrage, color slightly faded, slight wear, the top and bottom edges restored

Lot Essay

A slightly later impression of this rare print with a broken seal below the poem, without the delicate bokashi printing under the eyebrows and on the breast of the owl and with a cobalt blue rather than the purple/blue of the present impression, a fainter blue background and a more pronounced blue around the crescent moon, is illustrated in Suzuki Juzo, Hiroshige, pl. 58 with catalogue note dating the print to the 1830's, publisher not stated. Another impression of the print is illustrated in Art Japonais dans les Collections Suisses, Fondation Pierre Gianadda, Martigny, no. 195, there listed as published by Kawaguchi Shozo ca. 1832