Comment - The print shows the topographic representation of Totomi. Totomi (kuni) is within Shizuoka-ken. "Totomi Kites, a Famous Product of Fukuroi" is the title of another woodblock from Hiroshige (I). However this print of Hiroshige-I's master disciple shows a magnificent Fukuroi Circular kite (袋井の丸凧, Fukuroi no Maru-dako), decorated with a temple lion and Chrysathemum flowers, being the Imperial symbol and National Flower of Japan. This kind of kite is only found in Fukuroi. It has three bridle lines and carries a single tail rope. The coarse kite line carries a bound cloth (rope-ferry) carrying cloured paper snippets that have been released, wavering to the ground. A squared kite, entangled like the Fukuroi Circular kite, is flying in the background. The kite is decorated with the rising Japanese sun symbol, emerging from the sea. A small group of three kite flyers is standing on a dam between the rice paddies, pulling the kite line of another kite. Of the small group, two kite flyers are handling the kite line, while the third one is carrying a basket with the rolled-up surplus kite line. A group of four farmers is planting rice near the open waters. Mount Akiba is to be seen in the background. The kites, including their decorations) of this landscape have a near counterpart in a woodblock print by Hiroshige (I), named "Totomi Kites" of his horizontal Tokaido Reissho-Edition.

The print has three different bokashi shadings, a genuine masterpiece of wood block printing.


Series - The series "One Hundred Views of Famous Places in the Provinces" ("諸国名所百景", "Shokoku meisho hyakkei") does not appear to contain the full one hundred prints advertized in the title. It is currently known to contain at least 81 prints. The series dates from the middle of Hiroshige II's career, when he was in his mid-thirties. At this point, he had just started using the name 'Hiroshige', since his master Hiroshige-I had just died in 1858, and HiroshigeII had taken over the 'ga' 'Hiroshige'. Therefore all prints in this series are signed 'Hiroshige'. The series title is in the tall rectangular cartouche in the top right corner; the title of each individual print is in the square cartouche to its left. A few of the images in this series are closely based on those in the well-known Hiroshige I series Famous Views of the 60-odd Provinces.


Artist - see Biography


Signature - Hiroshige-ga (広重画),  (as HIROSHIGE-II) at lower left


Publisher - Uoya Eikichi (魚屋 栄吉)


Image Size -   21.52 x 33.0 cm (8 15/32" x 12 2/2") + margins as shown


Condition - Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper, single sheet, Vertical ôban; Tate-e (portrait); margin completely restored with different paper, therefore no printing details