Edo Jidai no Fūzoku-shi (A History of Manners and Customs in the Edo Period), Circa 1650-1700. An Exceedingly Rare, Large Silk Emakimono Handscroll with Scenes of Women, Wakashu, and Courtesans, with a Tea Party, Leisure Boats, and a Game of Go
Edo Jidai no Fūzoku-shi (A History of Manners and Customs in the Edo Period), Circa 1650-1700. An Exceedingly Rare, Large Silk Emakimono Handscroll with Scenes of Women, Wakashu, and Courtesans, with a Tea Party, Leisure Boats, and a Game of Go
Edo Jidai no Fūzoku-shi (A History of Manners and Customs in the Edo Period), Circa 1650-1700. An Exceedingly Rare, Large Silk Emakimono Handscroll with Scenes of Women, Wakashu, and Courtesans, with a Tea Party, Leisure Boats, and a Game of Go
Edo Jidai no Fūzoku-shi (A History of Manners and Customs in the Edo Period), Circa 1650-1700. An Exceedingly Rare, Large Silk Emakimono Handscroll with Scenes of Women, Wakashu, and Courtesans, with a Tea Party, Leisure Boats, and a Game of Go
Edo Jidai no Fūzoku-shi (A History of Manners and Customs in the Edo Period), Circa 1650-1700. An Exceedingly Rare, Large Silk Emakimono Handscroll with Scenes of Women, Wakashu, and Courtesans, with a Tea Party, Leisure Boats, and a Game of Go
Edo Jidai no Fūzoku-shi (A History of Manners and Customs in the Edo Period), Circa 1650-1700. An Exceedingly Rare, Large Silk Emakimono Handscroll with Scenes of Women, Wakashu, and Courtesans, with a Tea Party, Leisure Boats, and a Game of Go
Edo Jidai no Fūzoku-shi (A History of Manners and Customs in the Edo Period), Circa 1650-1700. An Exceedingly Rare, Large Silk Emakimono Handscroll with Scenes of Women, Wakashu, and Courtesans, with a Tea Party, Leisure Boats, and a Game of Go
Edo Jidai no Fūzoku-shi (A History of Manners and Customs in the Edo Period), Circa 1650-1700. An Exceedingly Rare, Large Silk Emakimono Handscroll with Scenes of Women, Wakashu, and Courtesans, with a Tea Party, Leisure Boats, and a Game of Go
Edo Jidai no Fūzoku-shi (A History of Manners and Customs in the Edo Period), Circa 1650-1700. An Exceedingly Rare, Large Silk Emakimono Handscroll with Scenes of Women, Wakashu, and Courtesans, with a Tea Party, Leisure Boats, and a Game of Go
Edo Jidai no Fūzoku-shi (A History of Manners and Customs in the Edo Period), Circa 1650-1700. An Exceedingly Rare, Large Silk Emakimono Handscroll with Scenes of Women, Wakashu, and Courtesans, with a Tea Party, Leisure Boats, and a Game of Go
Edo Jidai no Fūzoku-shi (A History of Manners and Customs in the Edo Period), Circa 1650-1700. An Exceedingly Rare, Large Silk Emakimono Handscroll with Scenes of Women, Wakashu, and Courtesans, with a Tea Party, Leisure Boats, and a Game of Go
Edo Jidai no Fūzoku-shi (A History of Manners and Customs in the Edo Period), Circa 1650-1700. An Exceedingly Rare, Large Silk Emakimono Handscroll with Scenes of Women, Wakashu, and Courtesans, with a Tea Party, Leisure Boats, and a Game of Go
Edo Jidai no Fūzoku-shi (A History of Manners and Customs in the Edo Period), Circa 1650-1700. An Exceedingly Rare, Large Silk Emakimono Handscroll with Scenes of Women, Wakashu, and Courtesans, with a Tea Party, Leisure Boats, and a Game of Go
Edo Jidai no Fūzoku-shi (A History of Manners and Customs in the Edo Period), Circa 1650-1700. An Exceedingly Rare, Large Silk Emakimono Handscroll with Scenes of Women, Wakashu, and Courtesans, with a Tea Party, Leisure Boats, and a Game of Go
Edo Jidai no Fūzoku-shi (A History of Manners and Customs in the Edo Period), Circa 1650-1700. An Exceedingly Rare, Large Silk Emakimono Handscroll with Scenes of Women, Wakashu, and Courtesans, with a Tea Party, Leisure Boats, and a Game of Go
Edo Jidai no Fūzoku-shi (A History of Manners and Customs in the Edo Period), Circa 1650-1700. An Exceedingly Rare, Large Silk Emakimono Handscroll with Scenes of Women, Wakashu, and Courtesans, with a Tea Party, Leisure Boats, and a Game of Go
Edo Jidai no Fūzoku-shi (A History of Manners and Customs in the Edo Period), Circa 1650-1700. An Exceedingly Rare, Large Silk Emakimono Handscroll with Scenes of Women, Wakashu, and Courtesans, with a Tea Party, Leisure Boats, and a Game of Go
Edo Jidai no Fūzoku-shi (A History of Manners and Customs in the Edo Period), Circa 1650-1700. An Exceedingly Rare, Large Silk Emakimono Handscroll with Scenes of Women, Wakashu, and Courtesans, with a Tea Party, Leisure Boats, and a Game of Go

Edo Jidai no Fūzoku-shi (A History of Manners and Customs in the Edo Period), Circa 1650-1700. An Exceedingly Rare, Large Silk Emakimono Handscroll with Scenes of Women, Wakashu, and Courtesans, with a Tea Party, Leisure Boats, and a Game of Go

$54,000.00
$54,000.00
Shipping calculated at checkout.

Title: Edo Jidai no Fūzoku-shi (A History of Manners and Customs in the Edo Period), Circa 1650-1700. An Exceedingly Rare, Large Silk Emakimono Handscroll with Scenes of Women, Wakashu, and Courtesans, with a Tea Party, Leisure Boats, and a Game of Go. With Illuminated Borders
Author: School of Hishikawa Moronobu
Condition: Very Good

An exceedingly rare, Early Edo Period, mid to late 17th century emakimono handscroll, dubbed Edo Jidai no Fūzoku-shi, or A History of Manners and Customs in the Edo Period. The manuscript has been fully rendered beautifully on silk, with scenes depicting dozens of women, children, several wakashu, with several of the women likely being courtesans. We can see a scene of a small tea party, and a boating scene with several wakashu playing a rousing game of Go.

The paintings have been produced in superb detail, with each and every kimono painted with differentiating patterns and designs, and application of gold ink as well. The borders have also been brilliantly decorated with illuminated borders.

The paintings are very much in the style of painter and Ukiyo-e artist Hishikawa Moronobu (1618-1694), whose work helped to popularize the Ukiyo-e genre in his time, consolidating the works of scattered Japanese art styles and forging the early development of Ukiyo-e. Given the quality, it is highly likely that this handscroll was produced by his school.

Compare our series of compositions to lot 637, sold at the Bonhams Sale of 23 March 2022. That example was a small handscroll extract (27.7 x 38.3cm) which hammered for 6375 USD.

It should be noted that large format silk handscrolls such as these are rather rare in example, normally appearing on the market or held as fragmentary examples.

All the paintings have been laid down and bound in a handscroll, with a beautiful brocade decorated cover of gold, though much of it has frayed away. There are jikusai (knobs). There is a wooden storage box to accompany the handscroll, preserving the contents.

One large emakimano handscroll on silk, 50.6 x 430 cm

This emakimano handscroll is in very good shape, with considerable fraying to the brocade decoration. There is very light, scattered soiling and spotting throughout.