Bidspirit auction | Utagawa Yoshitora (Active Circa 1836-1887)

Utagawa Yoshitora (Active Circa 1836-1887) - AN OUTSTANDING WOODBLOCK OF TOKYO PILGRIMAGE CLUB C 1860. Utagawa Yoshitora (Active Circa 1836-1887) The Tokyo Pilgrimage Club Departing for Ise Shrine 1860 -1870 The three sheet oban triptych documenting the grand departure of Tokyo pilgrimage clubs bound for the sacred Ise Grand Shrine is set against the Ryogoku Bridge over the Sumida River in the heart of old Edo (modern day Tokyo). The foreground is a kaleidoscope of color featuring matching festival attire, banners and Tengu masks. The jubilant and colorful composition documents the pop-culture side of an important Japanese religious journey to the Ise shrine. In the Edo period, travel was very expensive. Ordinary citizens who couldn't afford it formed neighborhood savings clubs where everyone would pitch in money, and a lottery would be drawn to choose who got to go to the shrine at Ise that year as representatives of the neighborhood. The towering, elaborate placards and banners carried by the crowd are the insignias of these specific clubs. Ise is a sacred geographic area of forests and rivers where a very important Shinto religious shrine complex is located. each sight size measures 13.75 x 9.25 with a framed size of 20 x 36.5 inches. Without proof of exemption, be aware that internet sales tax applies to all Internet transactions and local sales tax may apply to local pick-up transactions. We happily provide seamless in-house packing and shipping services on nearly everything we sell. Until further notice, we cannot offer international shipping in-house. Dimensions each sight size measures 13.75 x 9.25 with a framed size of 20 x 36.5 inches. Condition Very good color with outstanding color, very clean, intact, no visible stain, damage, repair, punctures or tears, noting one very minor dark spot near a banner lower left of middle sheet. This work has not been examined outside the frame. Provenance The estate of John Adair Jr. (1942-2025), founder and proprietor of Kurofune Antiques in Tokyo (est. 1978), a world-renowned destination for Japanese basketry, prints and furniture featured in The New York Times, The New Yorker, and The Wall Street Journal.