Night Snow At Kameido Tenjin Shrine Appraisal

Utagawa Hiroshige, Night Snow at Kameido Tenjin Shrine

This item is a Japanese woodblock print (ukiyo-e) attributed to the master artist Utagawa Hiroshige, specifically from the series 'Famous Places in the Eastern Capital' (Toto Meisho). The print depicts the Kameido Tenjin Shrine during a heavy snowfall. The composition features the iconic drum bridge in the foreground and background, with snow-covered temple structures and pine trees under a dark, starlit sky. The palette is dominated by cool tones: deep Prussian blue for the water and sky, neutral grays for the shadows, and the white of the unprinted paper representing the snow. The execution shows fine line work characteristic of the Edo period, with visible wood grain texture in some of the larger color blocks indicating an early or high-quality pressing. The print is framed with a distinctive dark border with scalloped corners. Condition appears fair to good for its age, likely originating from the 1830s or a later Meiji-era reissue; there is visible foxing and light staining in the margins, particularly at the corners, and some slight fading of the blue pigments. A signature 'Hiroshige ga' is visible on the left side alongside a publisher's seal. The paper shows slight undulation and some minor edge wear consistent with antique Japanese tissue or mulberry paper (washi).