Paris, France A Japanese woodblock print from the Edo era fetched 745,000 euros ($841,000) at auction in Paris on, setting a world record for both the genre and the artist, Kitagawa Utamaro, the auctioneer said.
The work by the 18th-century artist, titled "Deeply Hidden Love" (Fukaku shinobu koi), was auctioned jointly by the Beaussant Lefevre auction house in association with Christie's.
The print, from his "Anthology of Love" series, was the star lot in a collection worth an estimated 1.5 million euros that had been held by the Portier family for four generations.
The work had been expected to fetch around 100,000 euros.
Utamaro, born in 1753 in Tokyo -- then named Edo and the heart of Japan's last feudal military government -- was a leading producer of the Ukiyo-e genre of painting and printing.
He was renowned for his works depicting beautiful women but also nature, including insects.
All of the 90 lots put up for auction -- mainly Japanese earthenware including chawan (tea bowls) and kogo incense boxes -- found buyers after intense bidding.
Toshusai Sharaku's portrait of actor Tanimura Torazo fetched 101,000 euros while a bust of comedian Iwai Hanshiro by Utagawa Kunimasa went for 78,680 euros.
The auction featured eight exceptional Edo stamps in all, mainly portraits of actors by leading lights of the genre including Toshusai Sharaku -- active only between 1794 and 1795 -- Kitagawa Kunimasa (1773-1810) and Utagawa Toyokuni (1769-1825).
Each was acquired by Henri Portier and his son Andre, major figures in the Asian art market in France, in sales at the Drouot auction house over the past century.
Most of the works have not been seen in public since but prospective bidders had the chance to view the collection for two days prior to Wednesday's auction.
Auctioneers Eric Beaussant and Pierre-Yves Lefevre, Christie’s international director of Asian arts Geraldine Lenain and Asian arts expert Alice Jossaume said ahead of the sale they were honoured to be involved.
"(The Portiers') expertise has been a reference for the Asian art market for the past four generations," they said in a statement.
