Very good condition overall. The print appears to have been trimmed at some point in its history, resulting in the loss of one of the original upper cartouches. Aside from this, there is no insect damage, staining, or significant creasing. The lines remain sharp and the colors vivid, creating a highly attractive and displayable image.
This original Edo-period woodblock print was created around 1845 by Utagawa Hiroshige and depicts Miho no Ura Hagoromo Matsu no Yurai ("The Story of the Pine Tree of the Feather Robe at Miho Bay").
The design belongs to the celebrated series Tōkaidō Gojūsan-tsui ("Fifty-three Pairings for the Tōkaidō Road"), a distinctive collaboration that departed from conventional landscape prints by illustrating legends, folklore, historical episodes, and literary themes associated with the famous stations of the Tōkaidō highway.
This print represents Ejiri, the nineteenth station along the route connecting Edo and Kyoto. Rather than focusing solely on the location itself, Hiroshige illustrates one of Japan's most beloved legends, the story of the celestial maiden and the feather robe.
The scene depicts a tennyo (heavenly maiden) descending from the heavens above Miho no Matsubara, with Mount Fuji rising majestically in the background. According to the famous Hagoromo legend, a fisherman discovers a celestial maiden bathing and hides her magical feather robe, preventing her return to heaven. The story later became one of the most enduring themes in Japanese literature, Noh theater, painting, and woodblock printing.
The composition demonstrates Hiroshige's ability to combine landscape, mythology, and graceful figure design into a single harmonious image. The elegant placement of the celestial figure against the iconic silhouette of Mount Fuji creates a scene that is both poetic and distinctly Japanese.
A beautiful example of Hiroshige's narrative printmaking, combining folklore, landscape, and literary tradition. Suitable for collectors of ukiyo-e, Japanese mythology, and Hiroshige's lesser-known Tōkaidō series.
