Japanese Woodblock Prints from an Important Private European Collection

Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858) | View of the Whirlpools at Awa (Awa Naruto no fukei) | Edo period, 19th century

Lot Closed

June 13, 01:04 PM GMT

Estimate

30,000 - 50,000 EUR

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Lot Details

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Description

Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858)

View of the Whirlpools at Awa (Awa Naruto no fukei)

Edo period, 19^th century

woodblock print, triptych, from an untitled set of three triptychs representing the theme of Snow, Moon, and Flowers (Setsugekka), the left sheet signed Hiroshige hitsu (Brush of Hiroshige), censor’s seal aratame (certified), published by Okazawaya Taiheiji (Shoeido), 4^th month 1857; with collector's seal of Gerhard Pulverer to versos

Vertical oban triptych:

Left sheet: 36.8 x 24.7 cm., 14½ x 9¾ in.

Centre sheet: 36.7 x 25.2 cm., 14½ x 9⅞ in.

Right sheet: 36.5 x 24 cm., 14⅜ x 9½ in.

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Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858), Vue des tourbillons à Awa, époque Edo, XIXe siècle

Gerhard Pulverer (b. 1930)

The whirlpools here represent 'flowers' from the setsugekka, or Snow, Moon and Flowers theme of idealised beauty in Chinese and Japanese aesthetics. The vortexes in the Naruto strait create an 'elegant confusion', or mitate, as if the viewer can see in their myriad concentric whirls, the blooms of many flowers.

For a comparison of this device, see Hokusai's Flowers from his published set of Snow, Moon and Flowers, Lot 595.

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