Page 148 - 2021 March 16th Japanese and Korean Art, Christie's New York City
P. 148
120 KITAGAWA UTAMARO (1754-1806) 121 KITAGAWA UTAMARO (1754-1806)
Ogiya uchi Hanaogi, Takigawa Act XI, beauties and Utamaro The scene parodies Act XI, "The Night attack," of the
(Hanaogi and Takigawa of the Woodblock print, left sheet of a diptych, from popular drama "Treasury of loyal retainers." Utamaro
portrays himself, being offered a large cup of sake,
Ogiya) the series Komei bijin mitate Chushingura impersonating Moronao, the villain who is killed in this
junima tsuzuki (The Chushingura drama
Woodblock print, from the series Seiro yukun The two courtesans are depicted as half-length portraits, parodied by famous beauties), published by act. For another impression in the British Museum,
awase kagami (Courtesans of the pleasure one drawing her outer kimono around her shoulders, the Omiya Gonkuro London see Narazaki Muneshige and Yamaguchi
quarters in double mirrors), signed Utamaro other with a writing brush in one hand and scroll of Vertical oban: 14æ x 9æ in. (37.5 x 24.8 cm.) Keizaburo, Daiei hakubutsukan/The British Museum....,
hitsu, published by Yamadaya Sanshiro paper in the other. vol. 11 of Ukiyo-e shuka (Tokyo: Shogakukan, 1979), pl.
Vertical oban: 15º x 10¿ in. (38.7 x 25.7 cm.) $10,000-15,000 186 (diptych). Other diptychs are in The Art Institute of
The another impression, see the British Museum
Chicago and the Tokyo National Museum.
$6,000-8,000 (1906,1220,0.322). PROVENANCE:
Henrii Vever (1854-1943), Paris, sold Sotheby's London,
Highly Important Japanese Prints, Illusted Books and
Drawings from the Henri Vever Collection: Part I, 26
MArch 1974, lot 188.
