Tsukudajima hatsu-kakko (The first cuckoo at Tsukuda Island) / Toto meisho

Medium:: Woodblock print
Format:: Oban
Source:: British Museum

Typical Price

Later reprint (Meiji–Taisho era publishers): $50–$400
Good later impression (Edo-period, faded pigments): $1,000–$5,000
Good early impression (vivid color, sensitive observation): $5,000–$20,000
Fine early impression (exceptional freshness and condition): $20,000–$50,000

Hiroshige's bird-and-flower prints (kacho-e) were enormously popular during his lifetime. Typically in vertical chuban or koban format, they represent the most accessible entry point for collectors of Hiroshige's work. Fine impressions retain remarkable freshness of color.

Description

Tsukuda Island in the Sumida estuary, famous as a fishing village, is shown here during early summer when the cuckoo (kakko) makes its first call of the season — the hatsu-kakko, an auspicious event in the Japanese seasonal calendar. The print from the "Toto Meisho" series captures the island and the moment of the bird's arrival in a composition that weaves the annual event into a familiar Edo landmark.