Chikanobu Toyohara (Japanese, 1838-1915), Album of 31 Prints Inside the Chiyoda Palace

Circa 1894, ink, colors, and metallics on paper, 30 woodblock print triptychs and one pentaptych by Chickanobu Toyohara and published by Fukuda Hatsujiro, presented in a double sided accordion style album with brocade cover to front and back and silver metallic pigment to edges.


14 x 9 1/2 x 1 1/2 in.

Toyohara Chikanobu was a leading Meiji period ukiyo-e artist celebrated for his refined depictions of women, history, and courtly life. This deluxe album of his series Inside the Chiyoda Palace (Chiyoda no Ooku) offers an intimate and idealized view of the secluded women’s quarters of Edo Castle, presenting scenes of aristocratic rituals, seasonal pastimes, and daily activities within the shogun’s inner palace. Combining meticulous detail with elegant color harmonies, the series reflects both nostalgia for the vanished world of the Tokugawa court and Chikanobu’s mastery of narrative and design.

Overall prints in very good condition; very good impression and color; overall even toning to paper; some prints with English titles in pencil; covers with some stains and tears, toning to paper label.