100 Views of Edo # 77 by Ando Hiroshige

Additional Pictures:



Artist: Ando Utagawa Hiroshige (1787-1858)

Woodblock Prints Title: Inari Bridge and Minato Shrine, Teppôzu (Teppôzu Inaribashi Minato Jinja), from the series One Hundred Famous Views of Edo (Meisho Edo hyakkei)

1st Publication: February 1857

Size: Vertical ôban; 35.7 x 24.5 cm (14 1/16 x 9 5/8 in.)

Date of this edition: February 1857

Publisher: Uoya Eikichi

Condition: Some soiling, little remnants from prior mounting (tape), a repaired crack in the right margin. Good overall condition

More about this print: This particular place near Minato Shrine (half-hidden behind the red fence) was a critical junction in the waterways of Edo. It marked the point where large ships from western Japan were anchored and their cargoes transferred into small lighters, or flat-bottomed barges, for distribution to the many storehouses that lined the city's canals. Hiroshige detailed the masts of two cargo ships in the foreground to frame the background view of lighters heading into the canal beyond Imari Bridge. This system, dictated by the shallow waters of Edo Bay, meant that there were none of the piers that are commonly used in Western cities for unloading large ships.

Pictures: Pictures are taken outdoor, in the shade, to reflect true colors, without any enhancements of any kind. The last picture is taken indoor, with a light behind the print, to reveal the exact paper grain, holes if any, or other possible flaws.