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A work made of color woodblock print; oban.

Twilight Moon at the Ryogoku Bridge (Ryogoku no yoizuki), from the series "Famous Views of the Eastern Capital (Toto meisho)"

c. 1831

Utagawa Hiroshige 歌川 広重 Japanese, 1797-1858

Japan

The early impressions of this design, like the print seen here, were printed almost entirely in shades of blue, with a subtle gradation (bokashi) from blue to white in the water. Only the pink clouds prevent the impression on the left from being an “all blue” (aizuri-e) print. Later impressions use several other colors and now, the water is a solid blue.
The design was printed with a decorative border which was has been entirely trimmed in this print and partially trimmed in the other print.

Color woodblock print; oban

Arts of Asia