Utamaro Abalone Divers Original Watercolor Enoshima Awabi-ry? no Zu

Kitagawa Utamaro II (Japanese, d. 1831) watercolor and ink on handmade Japanese paper signed in ink along the left quadrant. This rare and important work depicts two women standing on a rocky ledge as another woman is diving into the water for an abalone. This original painting was created into a woodblock triptych titled ??????? (Enoshima Awabi-ry? no Zu). The scene is from the left panel of the triptych and dates to around 1804-1806. The watercolor is not framed. Keywords: Ukiyo-e, hiroshige, hokusai, woodblock, pearl divers, Meiji, Japanese Art, 19th century, Print,13.5 in x 10 in (sight), 17 6/8 x 12 in (frame)

$600