Ukiyo-e 22, KE-4, Handbag - Eisen, Returning Sails

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Ukiyo-e Bag - Returning Sails.

Art inspires fashion - Exotic style fashion.


Ukiyo-e (Japanese, meaning "Pictures of the Floating World"). Ukiyo-e depicts and records the life of Japanese people in the Edo period. It represents Japanese art of 17-19 centuries.

Returning Sails at Shiba Bay

From the series “Eight Views of Edo”
「江戸八景 芝浦の帰帆」
Returning Sails at Shiba Bay is one of the eight paintings of the series Eight Views of Edo (江戸八景) created by Keisai Eisen (渓斎 英泉) during 1843 to 1847. Eisen was a famous Japanese ukiyo-e artist in the Edo period. Ukiyo-e means "Pictures of the Floating World". The series Eight Views of Edo represent eight famous scenic places in Edo (present-day Tokyo), each painting is very delicate and has a beautiful name. They are:
1. 忍丘の暮雪   Twilight Snow at Shinobugaoka
2. 上野の晩鐘   Evening Bell at Ueno
3. 隅田川の落雁   Descending Geese on the Sumida River
4. 愛宕山の秋の月   Autumn Moon of Atagoyama
5. 芝浦の帰帆   Returning Sails at Shiba Bay
6. 日本橋の晴嵐   Clearing Weather at Nihonbashi
7. 吉原の夜雨   The Night Rain at Yoshiwara
8. 両国橋の夕照   Sunset Glow at Ryôgoku Bridge
The name of each painting reveals the content, location, and the scene. They are high-quality works and are typical Ukiyo-e landscape paintings. In fact, the eight sites are not far from each other, and they are all around the Edo area (now Tokyo).

Shiba Bay (芝浦) is a beach in the east of Shiba Town. In Edo period, Shiba Bay (now Shibaura) was a fishing ground and had been developed into a prosperous fishing village. The traffic of sea vessels was heavy.
There is a large sailboat in the foreground, full loaded with bundled goods. We can clearly see that the people on board are at work. Behind this, there are a large number of sails getting smaller and smaller, arranged in a way that expresses a sense of perspective.
The contrast between the boat and the majestic Mt. Fuji is obvious. On the right, Mt. Fuji rises from the sea. At dusk, sailing boats, on the sea, return to the beach. The clouds that flow crossing through the Mt. Fuji to the left side form a natural space and are well integrated.

As a good fishing ground, the harvested fishery in Shiba bay was called "Shiba-zaka or Shibanaka" which is widely distributed in Edo city and was provided to the Shogun. Edo people (Japanese: Edokko) uses "Edo-mae" to indicate the origin of these seafood. "Edo-mae" means "collected from the Edo Bay (now Tokyo Bay)" and actually it refers to the fishery from Shiba bay. They also use the word "Shiba-mochi" to compliment the freshness of its seafood.

The development of railway during the Meiji period and the landfill, started in 1912, to expand Tokyo Port tremendously changed the landscape of Shiba. After the war, it became an industrial and residential area; currently, there are high buildings everywhere. The scene in this painting no longer exists.

Created in 1843–47
Artist: Keisai Eisen (渓斎 英泉; Japanese, 1790–1848)

  • Price:$178.00
  • Glazed synthetic leather
  • Custom-print durable Oxford
  • Double rolled handles with 6" drop
  • Top zip opening has magnetic snaps on each end
  • Silver hardware
  • Interior features print lining; back zip pocket; 2 front open slip pockets trimmed in matching leather
  • Size: 14"W x 9 1/2"H x 6"D