Utagawa Hiroshige (1797–1858) “The Okitsu River (Okitsu, Okitsugawa)”

UTAGAWA HIROSHIGE (1797-1858)
"Wrestlers Fording The Okitsu River"
(No.18 from the series "Fifty-three Stations of the Tôkaidô Road" ("Tôkaidô gojûsan tsugi no uch"))
Original woodblock print (nishiki-e), ink and color on paper
Horizontal ōban
Published by Takenouchi Magohachi (Hoeidô) and Tsuruya Kiemon (Senkakudô)
Circa 1833–34 (Tenpô 4–5)

Measures:-   22.3 cm x 34.9 cm (image)
                     30.1 cm x 47.4 cm (framed)                  

An original Japanese woodblock print by Utagawa Hiroshige with a scene near the mouth of the Okitsu River: two sumo wrestlers are crossing the river, one being led on a packhorse whilst the other is carried on a palanquin/litter (‘yamakago’) borne by various porters in loincloths. There are rocks to the left and in the background can be seen pine trees along the coast of the Miho Peninsular (Miho no Matsubara (The Pine Grove at Miho)) with the sea and boats beyond. Signed within the print "Hiroshige ga" and by the publishers "Hoeidô"/"Senkakudô".

A good impression, trimmed following the margins but without loss to the image, with canted corners as it was printed. The inking and colouration to the particular impression here (with the salmon red tone to the figures) are similar to a version of the print held by the Honolulu Museum of Art (see HoMA, Gift of James A. Michener, 1991 (25029))