Description
Polychrome woodblock print of horizontal yotsugiri (四つ切り) format, made in November 1853 by the artist Utagawa Yoshikazu (歌川芳員) and depicting some inhabitants of the Maisaka station (舞阪宿) performing a teodori (手踊り) “hand dance”, probably to accompany the journey of the goddess enshrined in Kisa Shrine (岐佐神社) who according to the belief, in the middle of the ninth month of the traditional Japanese lunar calendar, goes out to visit the nearby Inariyama Shrine (稲荷山神社).
The work, produced by the publisher Tsutaya Umejiro (蔦屋梅次郎), is taken from the “Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido” (東海道五十三次内), a very distinctive series in which the artist introduces, with humorous images, legends and episodes related to the stations of the famous connecting route.
The rare print on Japanese washi paper (和紙), despite the presence of tiny restorations on binding holes, is in good condition.
