Japan, 1852 (Edo period), from the series Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido (Gojusan tsugi / also known as the Figure Tokaido)
This charming sheet directly follows the previous print and was also designed by the master Utagawa Hiroshige. It belongs to the popular 1852 edition of the "Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido" series, widely recognized by collectors as the "Figure Tokaido" (Jinbutsu Tokaido). While Hiroshige famously depicted the Hamamatsu station with dramatic winter scenery in his earlier landscape-focused series, here he shifts his attention to the idyllic, everyday life of the local coastal inhabitants. The composition is anchored by a leaning, old pine tree under which two figures are walking. One casually smokes a pipe while carrying a rake over their shoulder, while the other carries a large woven basket on their back, likely filled with gathered pine needles used for fuel. In the background, the rolling waves of the sea meet a pink-tinged horizon, giving the scene the peaceful atmosphere of either early morning or late afternoon. The print is executed in the same favored chūban format.
