Antique Japanese Woodblock Print by Katsukawa Shunzan -Ueno no Hanami- c.1790s
Presented is a beautiful Japanese full oban-size woodblock print created by the renowned artist of the late 1700s, Katsukawa Shunzan.
Katsukawa SHUNZAN was a pupil of Shunshō who worked through the last twenty years of the eighteenth century. Like most artists of his time, he was much influenced by Kiyonaga. Little is known about his life, and his work is very scarce.
This print is called "Ueno no nanami", or "Admiring Blooming Sakura in Ueno". Three beauties came to the Ueno district of Edo/Tokyo to enjoy the blooming of sakura. Most likely, a high-ranking courtesan with two female companions. One is fixing the geta sandal laces on the foot of the courtesan. We can see the silhouette of Kan'ei-ji temple in the background - it was the primary temple of the Tokugawa shogunate. In modern Tokyo, this place became a large Ueno Park with several major national museums.
Hanami, meaning "flower viewing," is the traditional Japanese custom of enjoying the fleeting beauty of flowers, primarily cherry blossoms (sakura), from late March to early May. The history of hanami in Japan goes back centuries, as early as the Nara period (710-794), when it originally revolved around ume (plum) blossoms. From the Heian period (794-1185), sakura became the most popular spring flower. The activity was originally limited to the elite of the Imperial Court and later to the Samurai, and by the Edo period, common people began to enjoy it as well. Over centuries, sakura/hanami have been the subject of poetry, song, and art. Today, sakura 🌸 has become deeply ingrained in Japanese culture, an iconic symbol of Japan around the world!
Judging by the condition of the paper, I think the print was made during Shunzan's lifetime. The print has faded with time and lost some of its color. However, the colors Shunzan used were always delicate pastel colors. A later strike of this print, probably from the early 1900s, is in the Library of Congress collection. The colors are different - they are much brighter than the usual colors of Shunzan and this particular print. It is signed by Shunzan, with no publisher's seal. Most likely, it is a part of a triptych, and the publisher's seal is on the other sheet.
AUTHOR: Katsukawa Shunzan
TITLE: Admiring Blooming Sakura in Ueno (Ueno no hanami)
CREATED: 1790s
PAPER: washi paper
METHOD OF PRINTING: Woodblock printing
PRINTED: Lifetime printing circa 1790s (?)
PRINT SIZE: Full oban size 14.25" X 9.75", margins trimmed
The condition is fair. Color fading, soiling of the paper. See pictures for the detailed condition. The print is backed with washi paper.
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