Japan, ca. 1834 (Edo period), from the series Famous Places of Kyoto (Kyōto meisho no uchi)
This serene and lyrical rural scene is the work of one of the greatest masters of Japanese landscape prints, Utagawa Hiroshige. The sheet originates from his acclaimed series "Famous Places of Kyoto" (Kyōto meisho no uchi). The design transports the viewer to the village of Yase (Yase no sato), nestled in the hills north of Kyoto. The scene is populated by local women (known historically as oharame or yase-ome), who famously carried heavy loads of firewood, brush, or goods on their heads to sell in the city below. One woman in the foreground balances a wooden tray carrying tea-making utensils. The path winds through rolling hills and fields toward a river and the distant silhouette of Mount Hiei. An impression of this specific design is held in the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art (MET) in New York. The color variance of this particular impression (notably the warmer, earthy tones) is a classic example of historical printing variations and the natural patina the paper has acquired over nearly two centuries.
#25000382
VISIONS OF THE FLOATING WORLD
From Hokusai and Hiroshige through Kunisada to Koson – 92 catalogue lots containing over 100 original woodblock prints.
