Japanese woodblock print album entitled Fifty-Three Stations of the Fan (Suehiro Gojusan-tsugi), or Fan Tokaido, 1865. Fifty-four (54) vertical oban prints including the title page and fifty-three images set along the Tokaido road detailing the Shogun's 1863 journey from Edo to Kyoto to visit the Emperor. Primarily by Yoshitoshi (Japan, 1839-1892) with contributions from Utagawa Hiroshige II and Utagawa Kunisada II, among others. Some prints still bound with string. Missing at least one print from the series, which contained 55 or more. The total number of prints in the series is unknown. Note: Along with his 1863 series Famous Places of the Tokaido (Tokaido Meisho Fiikei) these are the earliest known Yoshitoshi prints. Source: Helena Gaudekova and Alice Kraemerova, "Decadent Eccentric and Poetic Moon-Viewer" in Annals of the Naprstek Museum 33 (Prague: National Museum, 2012), 54-55.

PROVENANCE: Private East Tennessee collection. Acquired in Japan, c. 1947, by Dr. Edwin V. Hill, thence by descent.

Overall very good impressions with vibrant colors. Minor foxing to cover and negligible insect damage to lower margin of four prints. Cover with pinpoint loss, lower left. Some prints with creasing and handling wear to edges and corners, primarily marginal. Stiching holes to right-hand margin, some torn but without significant losses.