{"product_id":"new-year-in-a-samurai-mansion-kitagawa-utamaro","title":"New Year in a Samurai Mansion - Kitagawa Utamaro","description":"\u003cp\u003eA detailed woodblock print by Kitagawa Utamaro depicting a New Year celebration within a samurai mansion, taken from the anthology The Young God Ebisu.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis woodblock print by Kitagawa Utamaro originates from the kyoka anthology titled The Young God Ebisu (Waka Ebisu), published around 1789. The scene depicts a New Year celebration within a samurai residence, capturing the social customs and architectural environment of the Edo period. Utamaro, widely recognised for his portraits of women, here demonstrates his ability to organise complex multi-figure compositions within a domestic setting.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe composition employs a cut-away view of the mansion, allowing the viewer to observe both the interior and exterior spaces simultaneously. Inside, figures are seated on tatami mats, engaged in formal social exchange. Outside, the atmosphere is more active, with individuals moving through the courtyard. The print utilises a balanced colour palette, typical of late eighteenth-century Japanese printing techniques, where soft earth tones and muted reds provide a sense of harmony. The architectural lines are clean and precise, providing a structured framework for the figures who are rendered with characteristic grace.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eKyoka anthologies were popular literary collections that combined humorous poetry with high-quality illustrations. These works were often produced as private commissions for poetry circles, which explains the attention to detail in the clothing patterns and the specific cultural markers of the New Year, such as the pine decorations. The print serves as a record of the aesthetic values of the time, focusing on the interplay between private ritual and public display. By presenting this scene, Utamaro provides a glimpse into the domestic life of the samurai class, removed from the more common subjects of the pleasure districts. The work remains a fine example of the collaborative nature of book production in the Edo period, where artists, poets, and carvers worked in concert to produce refined cultural objects for a discerning audience.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"margin-top:2rem;padding-top:1.5rem;border-top:1px solid #e5e5e5;\"\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-size:0.85rem;color:#888;font-weight:600;margin:0 0 0.75rem;text-transform:uppercase;letter-spacing:0.05em;\"\u003eYou might also like\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"display:flex;flex-wrap:wrap;gap:0.5rem;\"\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/ryogoku-bridge-and-the-great-riverbank-utagawa-hiroshige\" style=\"display:inline-block;background:#f8f9fa;border:1px solid #e5e5e5;border-radius:20px;padding:0.35rem 0.85rem;font-size:0.8rem;color:#2a555a;font-weight:500;text-decoration:none !important;background-image:none !important;\"\u003eRyōgoku Bridge and the Great Riverbank - Utagawa Hiroshige — Utagawa Hiroshige\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/a-boat-upon-the-waters-utagawa-kuniyoshi\" style=\"display:inline-block;background:#f8f9fa;border:1px solid #e5e5e5;border-radius:20px;padding:0.35rem 0.85rem;font-size:0.8rem;color:#2a555a;font-weight:500;text-decoration:none !important;background-image:none !important;\"\u003eA Boat upon the Waters - Utagawa Kuniyoshi — Utagawa Kuniyoshi\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Kitagawa Utamaro","offers":[{"title":"Fine Art Poster \/ A4 (21x29.7 cm) \/ -","offer_id":58934400876879,"sku":null,"price":28.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Poster \/ A3 (29.7 x 42  cm) \/ -","offer_id":58934478700879,"sku":null,"price":35.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Poster \/ A2 (42 x 59.4  cm) \/ -","offer_id":58934478733647,"sku":null,"price":45.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A4 (21x29.7 cm) \/ Black frame","offer_id":58934478766415,"sku":null,"price":45.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A4 (21x29.7 cm) \/ Wood frame","offer_id":58934478799183,"sku":null,"price":45.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A4 (21x29.7 cm) \/ Dark wood frame","offer_id":58934478831951,"sku":null,"price":45.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A3 (29.7 x 42  cm) \/ Black frame","offer_id":58934478864719,"sku":null,"price":60.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A3 (29.7 x 42  cm) \/ Wood frame","offer_id":58934478897487,"sku":null,"price":60.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A3 (29.7 x 42  cm) \/ Dark wood frame","offer_id":58934478930255,"sku":null,"price":60.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A2 (42 x 59.4  cm) \/ Black frame","offer_id":58934478963023,"sku":null,"price":90.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A2 (42 x 59.4  cm) \/ Wood frame","offer_id":58934478995791,"sku":null,"price":90.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A2 (42 x 59.4  cm) \/ Dark wood frame","offer_id":58934479028559,"sku":null,"price":90.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0833\/9292\/1935\/files\/New-Year-in-a-Samurai-Mansion_Poster_CompositorV1_1790709155243.jpg?v=1790709573","url":"https:\/\/www.solisprints.co.uk\/products\/new-year-in-a-samurai-mansion-kitagawa-utamaro","provider":"Solis Prints","version":"1.0","type":"link"}