Description: "Cormorant Fishing Boat at Nagae River" is number 55 in the legendary series "The Sixty-Nine Stations along the Kisokaidō" which depicts places on the historic route between Edo (Tokyo) and Kyoto. The series of 70 woodblock prints was begun by Keisai Eisen and finished by Utagawa Hiroshige. It's celebrated for its bold compositions and experimental use of color as well as for being a charming tapestry of 19th-century Japan, long before the specter of industrialization. Offered here is a vintage lithograph of Keisai Eisen's depiction of cormorant fishing at night by firelight. The original woodblock dates to about 1838 and this lithographic print dates to the first half of the 20th century. It's beautifully presented under glass and double mats, set in a simple black wooden frame. FRAME 14" X 19.75" Working at night with open fires to provide light, the fishermen in this picture are using trained cormorants to fish for them. Usually, each fisherman would have about a dozen cormorants on leashes. The cormorants would swim alongside the long wooden boats and then dive underwater to catch a fish. However, a ring placed around the cormorant's neck prevented it from swallowing the fish. When a cormorant came to the surface with a fish, the fisherman retrieved it from the cormorant's throat. THE ARTIST: Keisai Eisen (1790–1848) was a Japanese ukiyo-e artist best known for his pictures of beautiful women. His ōkubi-e ("large head pictures") are considered to be masterpieces of the "decadent" Bunsei Era (1818–1830). He also produced a number of privately issued erotic prints. His landscape woodblock prints included "The Sixty-nine Stations of the Kiso Kaidō" which he started near the end of his life. He completed 23 prints for the series, and the other 47 prints were produced by Hiroshige. The series is a vivid tapestry of 19th-century Japan -- a major artifact of its imperial past and a masterwork of woodblock practice.
Price: 65 USD
Location: Richmond, Virginia
End Time: 2025-01-15T22:13:49.000Z
Shipping Cost: N/A USD
Product Images
Item Specifics
Restocking Fee: No
Return shipping will be paid by: Buyer
All returns accepted: Returns Accepted
Item must be returned within: 30 Days
Refund will be given as: Money Back
Artist: Keisai Eisen
Type: Print
Theme: Art, Japanese Culture
Style: Illustration Art, ukiyo-e
Material: Paper
Production Technique: Lithography
Subject: Fishing
