Antique Japanese Woodblock Diptych Print by Kunisada -Modern Genji – a Comparison of Murasaki’s Figures in Edo #10 c. Presented is a beautiful Japanese full oban-size woodblock print – diptych- created by the renowned artist of the late Edo period, Utagawa Kunisada (1786 – 1864), also known as Kunisada I and Toyokuni III. This print is a diptych – a two-sheet print. It is titled as Number 4 in the series of eight diptychs created by Utagawa Kunisada in 1852-53 as illustrations to the most famous and cherished in Japan, the early medieval novel: Genji Monogatari or the Tale of Genji. It was written by Murasaki Shikibu, a lady-in-waiting of the Imperial Court in the 11th century. The series is called “A comparison of Murasaki’s figures in Edo”. Edo murasaki sugata kurabe. It means the artist set the 11th-century characters in a late Edo-era environment contemporary with him. The print shows many small, intricate details and gives us a picture of life in mid-1800s Japan. Prince Genji is in a palace, enjoying a view of the mountains outside a window. He wears a blue coat patterned with cherry blossoms and toys over a gray and brown kimono, smiling as he looks over his shoulder. At right, a young beauty kneels in a doorway, grinning as she watches him. An intricate wooden railing with shoji panels above lines the back of the room, with pines framing a view of the low clouds drifting across the valley. Wonderful architectural detail in the elegant setting. The print was made using the Japanese woodblock technique in the 1850s during Kunisada’s lifetime. Signed with Kunisada’s signature (Kunisada hitsu) and stamped with the publisher’s seal of Daikokuyo Kenzaburo, 1860s AUTHOR: Utagawa Kunisada I (Toyokuni III) PUBLISHER: Joshuya Kinzo CREATED: 1852 TITLE: Number 10 – Scene from the Tale of Genji (descriptive title) SERIES: A comparison of Murasaki’s figures in Edo PAPER. Paper METHOD OF PRINTING: Woodblock printing PRINTED: Lifetime printing circa early 1850s PRINT SIZE: 15″ X 19.5″ two sheets combined. The condition is very good. Great detailed impression, bright colors, some very minimal toning, and soiling of the paper. A minor pape loss in the lower left corner of the right sheet. Auctiva offers Free Image Hosting and Editing. Track Page Views With.
