UTAGAWA KUNISADA II (TOYOKUNI IV, 1823-1880), TOYOHARA CHIKANOBU (1838-1912), AND OTHERS A Group of Twenty-three Prints Edo period (1615-1868) or Meiji era (1868-1912), 19th centuryProperty from the collection of John StevensonUTAGAWA KUNISADA II (TOYOKUNI IV, 1823–1880), TOYOHARA CHIKANOBU (1838-1912), AND OTHERSA Group of Twenty-three Prints Edo period (1615-1868) or Meiji era (1868-1912), 19th centuryThe first, an ōban tate-e print by Utagawa Kunisada II (Toyokuni IV, 1823–1880) entitled, Saruwaka tsuki no yūbae (A Moonlit Evening in the Theater District), the rightmost sheet of a triptych, signed Baichōrō Kunisada ga, published by Kiya Sōjirō; the second, an ōban tate-e print by Utagawa Kunisada II (Toyokuni IV, 1823–1880) entitled Suma, chapter 12 from the series Omokage Genji gojūyo jō (Traces of Genji in Fifty-four Chapters), signed Baichōrō Kunisada ga and Ryūsai on the folding-fan shaped inset image, published by Tsutaya Kichizō (Kōeidō); the third, an ōban tate-e print by Ichigyokusai (active mid-19th century) entitled Kikumitsuki (The Ninth Month) from the series Jūnigatsu no uchi (The Twelve Months), signed Ichigyokusai, published by Maruya Jinpachi; the fourth, a printed sleeve designed to contain the woodblock-printed game sugoroku, this version entitled Azuma no hana Genji sugoroku, the sleeve decorated a young man and two women with elaborate hairstyles and kimono, by Utagawa Yoshitora (active circa 1850-1880), signed Yoshitora ga; the fifth, an ōban tate-e print by Adachi Ginkō (1853-1902) from the series Kokon meifu kagami (Mirror of Famous Wives of Past and Present), depicting the wife of Yamaoka Kakubee, signed Shōsai Ginkō and sealed Shinsai Ginkō published by Sasaki Toyokichi in 1888; the sixth and seventh, two ōban tate-e prints from the series Kyōdō rishi no motoi (Instructive Models of Lofty Ambition), the first depicting Kesa Gozen about to be killed by Endō Moritō, by Kobayashi Kiyochika (1847-1915), signed Kiyochika and sealed Kiyochika, published by Matsuki Heikichi in 1885; the second depicting Tango no Tsubone writing a farewell letter to her lover, by Mizuno Toshikata (1866-1908), signed Toshikata and sealed Toshikata, published by Matsuki Heikichi in 1890; the eighth, an ōban tate-e print by Suzuki Toshimoto (active circa 1877–1898) from the series Chikyū zenkai raimei kagami (Mirror of Thunderous Names Around the Globe) depicting a historical event including Fujiwara-ren no Kamatari, Naka no ōe no ōji, Saeki no Komaro, Soga no Iruka, and Waka Inukai no Amita, signed Raisai Toshimoto and sealed Toshimoto; the ninth, an ōban tate-e print by Yamazaki Toshinobu (active circa 1857-1886) from the series Nihon Ryakushi Zu (Illustrated Brief History of Japan) depicting Kimura, a retainer of the Asano clan, descending a robe from a life by the light of a full moon, signed Ōju Toshinobu ga, printed in 1879; the tenth, an ōban tate-e print by Toyohara Kunichika entitled Tōkyō hana Sawamura Tosshō (Tokyo Flowers Sawamura Tosshō), signed Toyohara Kunichika hitsu; the eleventh, an ōban tate-e print by Toyohara Kunichika from the series Tōsei sanjūni sō (Thirty-two Fashionable Physiognomies) entitled Omoikiri ga yosa sō (Cauterizing with Moxa), signed Kunichika hitsu, published by Yorozuya Magobei; the twelfth, an ōban tate-e print by Toyohara Kunichika of the actor Bandō Hikosaburō, printed by Gusokuya Kahei; the thirteenth through fifteenth, three ōban tate-e prints of beauties from the series Setsugekka (Snow, Moon, and Flowers) by Toyohara Chikanobu, entitled Unohana (Deutzia Flower); Tsuki ennichi (Moon on a Festival Day); and Yuki Asakusa ichi (Snow at Asakusa Market), each signed Yōshū Chikanobu, the Snow and Moon prints sealed Yō, each dated 1899; the sixteenth through nineteenth, four ōban tate-e prints of beauties from the series Shin bijin (True Beauties) by Toyohara Chikanobu, nos. 7, 26, 29, and 30, each signed Yōshū Chikanobu, and dated 1897 or 98; the twentieth through twenty-third, four ōban tate-e prints of beauties with additional inset images of genre scenes from the series Jidai kagami (Mirror of the Ages) by Toyohara Chikanobu: Kansei no koro (Kansei era, 1789-1801); Bunsei no koro (Bunsei era, 1818-1830); Keiō no koro (Keio era, 1865-1868); and Meiji (Meiji era, 1868-1912), each signed Yōshū Chikanobu and sealed Yō, dated 1896 or 97 (23) 14 3/4 x 10in (37.3 x 25.3cm), the largest None