Utagawa (Ando) Hiroshige, "Sado Province: The Gold Mines"

The mines near the Ai River in Sado Province, in present-day Niigata Prefecture, became an important source of gold for the shogunate beginning in the 1600s. This wonderfully creative composition places figures at work in the mines in the foreground, with the rugged mountains and hills far off in the distance. This design comes from Hiroshige's "Famous Views of the Sixty-Odd Provinces," which is comprised of sixty-nine separate designs from one of the artist's most famous collections of landscapes. 

Series: Famous Views of the Sixty-Odd Provinces
Date: 1853
Size: Oban
Publisher: Koshimuraya Heisuke
Condition: Ink transfer bottom right, otherwise excellent color and condition
Frame Shown: 16" x 24" x 1/2", Classic Wood, Clear Walnut, Tan Mat

Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858) is the most important Japanese artist to emerge from Edo period ukiyo-e. Hiroshige is a widely recognized master of Japanese woodblock prints whose works have had a tremendous influence on artistic currents throughout the world. His woodblock prints are highly coveted by collectors and museums around the world.