HIROSHIGE Flying Cranes

HIROSHIGE (1797-1858)

Flying Cranes it has
ca 1858

Oban Tate-e.  Good impression and colours. Binding holes, album backing, and residue from previous album cover. A stand alone sheet which goes with a vertical oban diptych.  The lower sheet is signed and dated.  Most noticeably it differs from the diptych in that this print has no sun and also that the colours in the sky are reversed (this sky is blue rising to pink.).  The 3 sheets are frequently found attached to the covers of albums as front and end pages as this was. Cranes are symbols of longevity and therefore good luck.