Hiroshige's seals, numbering 17, 15 of which are of stone and the rest of wood. Most of them seem to have belonged to Hiroshige II. and Hiroshige III.
These three sets of articles were originally kept by Mr. Seifu Shimizu
for Hiroshige III. When Mr. Kiichiro Kikuchi, a friend of Mr. Shimizu's
who is closely related to the House of Ando succeeded Hiroshige III as
Hiroshige IV in December 1911, he took them over from Mr. Shimizu. (The
compiler is indebted to Mr. Kikuchi for kindly allowing him to insert
the printed impressions of these seals specially in the English catalogue).
Mr. Kikuchi was born in 1848. He teaches caligraphy at his own home at
Hon-Shirokanecho, Nihonbashi, not being a specialist in painting. He succeeded
to the title of Hiroshige in order to keep the family from becoming extinct.
Thus he inherited the family tablet for the House of Ando before which
he daily offers prayers.