Gifts from the Ebb-Tide - Kitagawa Utamaro
Archival giclée
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Description
A refined cover design from Kitagawa Utamaro's Shiohi no tsuto, documenting marine life through the lens of Edo period woodblock printing.
Gifts from the Ebb-Tide, or Shiohi no tsuto, is a celebrated example of the Japanese ehon, or picture book, format. Produced by Kitagawa Utamaro in the late eighteenth century, this work focuses on the collection and classification of seashells found along the coast. The cover design features a dark, atmospheric background with subtle gold-toned imagery of birds and waves, providing a quiet introduction to the scientific and aesthetic contents within.
Utamaro is widely recognised for his mastery of the woodblock medium, particularly his ability to capture natural forms with precision. In this volume, he moves away from his typical focus on portraiture to document the variety of marine life gathered during low tide. The text and images work in tandem to present these specimens as both objects of natural curiosity and subjects for poetic reflection. The use of colour and line in the original prints demonstrates the high level of craftsmanship associated with the Edo period publishing industry.
This specific print represents the exterior cover of the book, which retains a sense of age and historical character. The inclusion of the original title slip, written in elegant calligraphy, identifies the work clearly for the reader. The composition is balanced, using a dark, muted palette to allow the lighter, textured paper of the title label to draw the eye. It is a piece that captures the intersection of natural history and artistic expression, reflecting the period interest in documenting the physical world through the lens of traditional Japanese aesthetics. The work remains a primary reference for those interested in the development of the nature study genre within the Ukiyo-e tradition.
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Because every print is made to order, we don't offer change-of-mind returns, refunds or exchanges. If your order arrives faulty, damaged or incorrect, we'll replace it free of charge — just contact us within 48 hours of delivery. See our refunds page for full details.
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We ship worldwide, printing at the production hub nearest to your delivery address. Delivery times and costs vary by destination — you'll see the options available to you at checkout.
Manufacturing
Each print is produced to order using 12-colour giclée printing on FSC-certified archival paper. Designed in Britain and printed at your nearest production hub to reduce waste and speed up delivery.
Care and materials
Specific Features
Every Solis piece is made to order with archival, gallery-quality materials built to last.
- Museum-grade giclée printing for rich, fade-resistant colour
- Archival matte fine-art paper, FSC-certified
- Multiple sizes and framing options available
- Frames in black, natural wood, dark wood or white
- Framed prints arrive ready to hang
Care & Cleaning
To keep your artwork looking its best:
- Dust gently with a soft, dry cloth
- Avoid prolonged direct sunlight
- Never use liquid cleaners on the print or canvas surface
- Keep in a dry, room-temperature space
- Handle prints with clean, dry hands
Materials & Sizing
Museum-grade giclée on FSC-certified archival matte paper, with framed and canvas options.
- Paper sizes: A4, A3, A2, A1, A0 and B2 (50×70 cm)
- Canvas: XS (20×30 cm) to Large (60×90 cm)
- Frames: black, natural wood, dark wood or white
Gifts from the Ebb-Tide - Kitagawa Utamaro
Artist Biography
Kitagawa Utamaro
Almost nothing is certain about his early life. He was born around 1753, possibly in Edo, possibly in Kyoto, possibly in Kawagoe. He began publishing prints in the 1770s under the guidance of the publisher Tsutaya Juzaburo, who recognised what Utamaro could do with a portrait of a woman.
What he could do was unprecedented. He invented the okubi-e format: large head-and-shoulders portraits of individual women, mostly from the Yoshiwara pleasure district, printed in close-up with minimal background. Before Utamaro, bijin-ga (pictures of beautiful women) showed groups of figures in full length. He isolated the face, the tilt of the head, the expression. The prints are psychologically specific in a way that had not existed in Japanese printmaking.
He also published books of insect studies and volumes of shunga (erotica), and he made portraits of ordinary town women, not just courtesans. Ohisa and Okita, two shopgirls who appeared in his Three Beauties of the Present Day, became famous across Edo because of his prints. He turned real people into celebrities, which may be the first documented instance of an artist functioning as a kind of media platform.
Tsutaya Juzaburo died in 1797. Utamaro was reportedly devastated. Some critics feel his work never reached the same level afterward. He produced over two thousand prints in his career.
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