Evening at Ushigome
This later edition print by Tsuchiya Koitsu shows a dark and rainy evening at Kagura-zaka Hill in Ushigome, its Japanese title is Ushigome Kagurazaka.
The red lantern in the picture shows the name of the restaurant as ‘Doi’ - this is the name of the publisher of this work. Based on the publisher seal (see below), the print can be dated approximately to 1956 - 1962.
This version of the print has been allocated code TK—DH-56-V1 in the Koitsu Raisonne database - http://www.koitsu.com/DB/ItemDetail.asp?item=6882 . The print in the Koitsu Raisonne database does not show the publisher, carver, and printer seals that my version of the print shows in the left hand margin.
The first edition of the print (which would have been printed in 1939) had the text 藤井 (Fujii) on the lantern. You can see an example of first edition print here: http://www.koitsu.com/DB/ItemDetail.asp?item=6881 .
The print is in the Shin-Hanga (new prints) style.
The print is in the Large Oban format - approximately 24cm wide by 36 cm high, with additional margin space for the print title and seals of the publisher, carver, and printer.
Seal Information
Publisher
The publisher of this print - Doi Publishing House - is identified by the ‘Doi Hangaten ’ seal that appears mid way down the left hand margin of the print - this seal was used approximately between 1956 and 1962, however research by Marc Kahn shows strong evidence that this seal combination of publisher Doi Hangaten, carver Harada, and printer Yokoi was also used during the period 1936-1968 as well as 1956 - 1962. The seal was validated using information from ‘The Doi Publishing House Seals’ from http://www.ukiyoe-gallery.com/doipage1.htm where both the publisher, carver, and printer can be matched to the Doi Hangaten seal.
Artist
The artist - Tsuchiya Koitsu - is believed to be identified by the signature ‘Koitsu’ and red seal that appears in the bottom right hand corner of the print.
Carver
The carver Harada is identified by the left hand block of characters at the bottom left hand corner of the print outside the margin. The seal has been validated using information from ‘The Doi Publishing House Seals’ from http://www.ukiyoe-gallery.com/doipage1.htm
Printer
The printer - Yokoi - is identified by the right hand block of characters at the bottom left hand corner of the print outside the margin. The seal has been validated using information from ‘The Doi Publishing House Seals’ from http://www.ukiyoe-gallery.com/doipage1.htm
Title
The title appears outside the margin in the bottom right hand corner of the print, and translates to ‘Ushigome Kagurazaka’
