Every few years I try and find information about this unusual Hiroshige print. The print is an uncut chuban comic print. Long ago, I saw the title cartouche (of a different sheet in the series) transcribed in a dealers catalog as: 仕形噺どうけ茶番. Silly funny stories? The signature is Hiroshige giga and the censor seals (Kinugasa and Murata) appear to indicate a date of 1851-52. Hiroshige I, correct? Can anyone can point me to other prints in this series? I would also greatly appreciate any thoughts on the subject matter of the prints and the stories behind the designs. Really, any information is appreciated.
The artist is indeed Hiroshige I, signing 廣重戲筆 (sometimes read as 廣重戯筆), a sample signature is in the appendix of the book by Strange, available on hiroshige.org
I'm not sure the title is correct, because どうけ (dōke) is written 道化 in kanji, and 化 has no resemblance to the corresponding kanji on the print (which has the radical 戈). 化 has three semantic variants, none of which includes 戈. However, removing the hiraganas from the title does help in the search for an answer.
Thank you ManuD