Sadahide: Fan Print Drawing of Maiko Beach in Harima (Sold)

Artist: Utagawa Sadahide (Attributed to) 
Title: Maiko Beach in Harima (Harima Maiko no Hama)
Date: ca. 1840s

Original preparatory drawing for an unpublished woodcut for a fan print (uchiwa-e). Two beauties are shown raking pine needles along the scenic beach at Harima. It has been titled at top right "Maiko Beach in Harima" (Harima Maiko no Hama), which is now located in Hyogo Prefecture.  The view must be of the Akashi Strait, looking towards Awaji Island. This beach is famous for its blue pines and white sand and it is designated as one of three beaches of Japan with beautiful pines on the beach. The other two beaches are Miho no Mtsubara and Niji no Hara. Hiroshige designed a famous print of this beach in his 60-Odd Provinces series. The name location name “Maiko” (dancing young girls of Kyoto) comes from the bending pines as if they are dancing in the wind.  The hand here is strong and confident, and the pines and the beauties very nicely drawn, and the roots of the pines do resemble those in a similar Sadahide design called "Suma Bay: Matsukaze and Murasame" that shows two brine-gathering maidens. The shoreline has also been drawn in a similar way.

Condition:Very good condition overall. On thin hanshita-e paper, mounted lightly at the top to a backing paper, but unbacked.
Dimensions: 23.8 x 31.6 cm
Signature: Unsigned

SKU: DRW490