Utamaro Kitagawa (1753-1806) - Lot 63

Utamaro Kitagawa (1753-1806) Ogiya Hanaogi Ogiya Hanaogi Portrait of Yoshiwara's most famous oiran. Her name and that of her house are given in rebus form in the square cartouche: ogi, fan; ya, arrow; hana, flower; ogi, fan. Dreamily, with brush in hand, she prepares to write. She is dressed in a mauve and pink kimono, with a green ribbon in her hair. from the series Komei bijin rokkasen, Compa- raison entre les belles célèbres de six immortels. Date: circa 1795. Signed Utamaro Hitsu. Publisher Omiya Gonkuro. Format oban tate-e: 38.5 x 25.5 cm A very fine proof. Line plate printed in dark gray. Very fresh coloring. Embossing on scroll end and collar. Margin trace at top. Bending, minor repairs, doubled. Bibliography: Yoshida 355 - Shibui 56-1-3 - ZH/Keyes 171. 3a - Ukiyo-e Taisei 181 - Illustrated Catalogues of Tokyo National Museum, Ukiyo-e Prints (2), Tokyo 1962, 1895 - Kurth 353 - Michener 53 repr. coul., p.167 and 334 - Manzi IV, 214 - Mellor 1963, 242 repr. this print. cf Ledoux 40 and Gale 149. Exhibitions: Utamaro, Paris, galerie Berès, 1976, no. 49 repr. (this print) - The Passionate Art of Kitagawa Utamaro, London British Museum, 8-31-1995 to 10-22-1995, 226 repr. Provenance: John Mellor