An uncommon 1840s preparatory drawing attributed to Hiroshige.

An uncommon preparatory drawing attributed to Hiroshige.

Shita-e (preparatory sketch) for the ehon (book) Sohitsu Gafu “Sketch book of Hiroshige” – published c1848.

Utagawa (Ando) Hiroshige (1797-1858)

24 x 37cm

Condition: The sketches are on old Japanese washi paper and drawn in Chinese Ink. Old rust stains from pins to bottom right of image. Marks on page to left corner of image.

The large oban size sheet depicts six ladies and two fish. At the top of the image a girl in a kimono wearing a hat is shown playing with a yoyo. Yoyos are known to originate in Asia and images of children playing with yoyos have been seen on Japanese Imari vases from the 17th Century. On the right of the sheet, two ladies in kimonos are shown standing by a doorway. Three ladies are shown at the bottom left of the image: one holding a bottle, one washing in the water, and one is stooped over while looking across to her right. At the top left of the image, two fish are shown swimming across the page.

The images have been identified as being for Hiroshige’s book Shoitsu Gafu and are in the typical style of Hiroshige.