Meiji period woodblock print, Chiyoda no Ōoku: Wedding (千代田之大奥 婚礼 / Konrei), by Hashimoto Chikanobu (1838–1912), dated Meiji 29 (1896), published by Fukuda Hatsujirō of Hasegawa-chō, Nihonbashi Ward, printed January 2 and issued January 31, Tokyo. This finely executed colour woodblock pentaptych depicts a formal samurai wedding ceremony within the Inner Palace (Ōoku) of Edo Castle, with the groom seated at the far right, the bride centrally placed, and elegantly dressed ladies-in-waiting attending the ritual, including one presenting the three ceremonial sake cups; in the background appears an auspicious decorative motif representing Hōraizan (the Isle of the Immortals), reinforcing themes of longevity and felicity.

The work belongs to Chikanobu’s celebrated Chiyoda no Ōoku (The Inner Precincts at Chiyoda) series, one of the artist’s most important achievements, produced during the 1890s at a time of strong Meiji-era nostalgia for Edo culture. During the Edo period, the life and customs of the shogunate’s inner palace were largely inaccessible and rarely depicted; in the Meiji era, artists such as Chikanobu reimagined this secluded world, shaping the enduring popular image of the Ōoku as a refined and highly ritualized female domain.

The depiction of court ladies in this composition also reflects traditional Japanese cosmetic practices, in which elements such as white face powder (oshiroi), blackened teeth (ohaguro), and stylized eyebrows signified age, marital status, and social rank. Such visual codes were closely tied to female rites of passage and courtly etiquette, and their careful representation here underscores the formality and symbolic structure of life within the shogunal household.

Executed in a rare five-sheet (pentaptych) format—far less common than the typical triptych—the composition is expansive and richly detailed, demonstrating Chikanobu’s mature style with refined linework, balanced arrangement, and richly layered, saturated colour printing characteristic of high-quality late ukiyo-e production. While Chikanobu is widely known for his multi-sheet compositions, the majority of his works are issued as triptychs, as seen in examples such as Illustration of The Imperial Assembly of the House of Peers (Teikoku gikai kizokuin no zu, Metropolitan Museum of Art) and A Contest of Elegant Ladies among the Cherry Blossoms (Kaika kifujin kisoi, Metropolitan Museum of Art), making complete pentaptych designs such as the present work particularly rare.

An identical example is held in the British Museum (Museum no. 1943,0410,0.9.2–6; see: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/A_1943-0410-0-9-2-6), making this a well-documented and institutionally recognized composition. At present, only this example appears to be available on the market, with the British Museum impression representing the only other known recorded example, underscoring the extreme rarity of the work, particularly in its complete pentaptych format. Complete impressions from this series are seldom encountered, and survival in full five-sheet form is exceptional. Notably, the present example retains stronger, fresher colour and a more vivid impression than the British Museum example, where the pigments appear comparatively subdued.

A rare and important example of late ukiyo-e, this complete pentaptych remains in very good condition, with excellent preservation of colour, clarity of line, and overall visual impact across all five sheets. {Image size: 47 x 14 inches}.

For condition report, please contact the Asian Art Department.