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Kikugawa EIZAN (1787 - 1867)		From: Furyu shugi san bijin ('Elegant depiction of three women entertaining themselves during a banquet')
		Signed:                     Eizan hitsu, with seal: kikudama-in Publisher:                Yamada-ya Shojiro Censor's seal:         kiwame ('examined') Date seal:                  inu hachi ('year of the Dog, eighth month' = 1814) Size:                          oban tate-e  (39 x 26. 5 cms / 15 3/8" x 10 1/2") Condition: Very fine impression, fine, brilliant colors; fine condition. Printed on deluxe paper. - Extremely rare in such fine quality! FIRST EDITION impression. For further details, pls. read below*. ref. no.: # 591778 Price:  € 4,500.00

During a banquet. A geisha in a yellow kimono is sitting in a large room, playing a finger game (ken), imitating the pose of a fox. In the background, two more geishas are seen, - one performing a dance -, as silhouettes on the shoji (sliding wall panels made of paper). This is the center panel of a triptych, but it stands very well on its own. Complete triptychs are extremely rare, and when found, mostly are from the later editon (see next paragraph). * This impression is from the first edition which is signed: Eizan hitsu, accompanied by the seal: kikudama-in. It carries the censor's and the date seals (kiwame and inu hachi). - Ten years after, in 1824, a second edition was published showing the following variations: The print is now signed: Kikugawa Eizan hitsu, it lacks the red kikudama-in seal; instead of the date seal it now carries a publisher's seal. That later edition was printed from the same key blocks, but shows different patterns on the bowls seen on the tray behind the geisha whose kimono patterns were altered , as well. The block of the shadow figures on the shoji was recut, and a new title was given: Furyu kitsune ken ('Elegant depiction of the fox finger game'). Reference: - Eiko Kondo, 'Il mondo di Eizan', Rome, 1989; cat. no. 74. - An impression of the later edition of the print is shown in the same catalog as no. 74a. - 'Ukiyo-e Masterpieces in European Collections', vol. XI, Museo d'Arte Orientale di Genova; Tokyo, 1988, no. 39.

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