UTAMARO Kitagawa (1753 - 1806) - "Procession of Daimyô passing Mount Fuji". 1791-1792. Wood engraving, printed in colors, on Japan paper. Triptych, Ôban tate-e. Signed "Utamaro ga". Rare proof published by Tsutaya Jûzaburô. The processions of the Daimyos, the principal provincial governors from the military class who ruled Japan under the Shogun (from the Muromachi (1336-1573) to the Edo (1603-1868) periods, consisted of paying homage to their shōgun (the title of the one who held military and civil power in Japan) in Edo. The Edo period or Tokugawa period is the traditional subdivision of Japanese history that begins in 1603 and ends in 1867 with the Meiji Restoration. It is dominated by the Tokugawa shogunate of which Edo (former name of Tokyo) is the capital, as opposed to Kyoto, imperial capital. In 1600, Ieyasu Tokugawa (1543-1616) fought a victorious battle against his enemies at Sekigahara, and thus marked the beginning of a new era in Japanese history, called the Edo period. From this date, all roads in Japan led to Edo. Originally, it was a small fishing village, nestled in the marshes at the end of a plain in the fiefdom of Kantō, in the bay opening onto the Pacific Ocean. In 1590, Edo became the seat of Ieyasu Tokugawa. From then on Edo's development was very rapid. Craftsmen and artists flocked to Edo, sure to find work there. Moreover, the incessant processions of several thousand Daimyō across the country contributed to the development of the road network, with new localities teeming with life and, to accommodate travelers, stations, relays (shukuba), shops and teahouses. The processions of daimyo going from the shogunal capital to their provincial domains or to the emperor in Kyoto were very numerous and criss-crossed the archipelago. Dimensions of the left leaf H36,1xW22 cm, central leaf H36xW24,8 cm & right leaf H36,3xW22,5 cm. Condition B (Tears and lacks restored, boards trimmed, some soiling and cut to the subject at the foot for the central part).