Hakone: View of the Lake (Top) and Yui: Satta Peak (Bottom) from The Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō
Print; woodblock print (ukiyo-e) on washi paper • Utagawa Hiroshige (Japanese, 1797–1858)
Style & Movement
Ukiyo-e; Edo Period landscape tradition (Meisho-e)
Medium & Technique
Nishiki-e (multi-colored woodblock print). Techniques include bokashi (color gradation) in the sky and water, and precise multi-block registration.
Creation Period
Original designs circa 1833-1834 (Hoeido edition); these appear to be later 20th-century high-quality Showa-era reproductions or re-strikes.
Dimensions & Format
Chūban format (approx. 18 x 25 cm per print), presented in a vertical double-matted frame.
Subject Description
Top: A steep, colorful mountain pass overlooking Lake Ashi. Bottom: A view of Mount Fuji across the Suruga Bay from the dangerous Satta cliffside path with sailing ships in the distance.
Condition & Value Assessment
Condition Assessment
Good to Very Good. The colors remain vibrant (suggesting a modern printing), though there is slight evidence of edge toning and possible humidity-related paper rippling.
Estimated Market Value
$100 - $300 USD (as a decorative framed set of modern reprints)
Auction Estimate
$50 - $150 USD
Provenance History
Unknown; likely acquired as a decorative set from a gallery specializing in Japanese graphic arts or a museum shop during the mid-to-late 20th century.
Art Historical Significance
Hiroshige's 'Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō' is one of the most famous series in Japanese art history, revolutionizing the landscape genre and later influencing Western Impressionist and Post-Impressionist painters like Van Gogh and Monet.
Notable Features
Includes the titular cartouches and publisher seals corresponding to the original Hoeido edition, though the paper texture and pigment saturation indicate these are high-quality facsimile editions.
Condition Issues
Minor paper buckling within the mat; slight yellowing of the paper margins; glares on the glass suggest non-UV protective glazing which may lead to future fading.
Conservation Recommendations
Re-frame using acid-free archival matting and UV-protective museum glass. Avoid hanging in direct sunlight to prevent the fugitive organic pigments from fading.