100 Views of Edo # 99 by Ando Hiroshige

Artist: Ando Utagawa Hiroshige (1787-1858)

Woodblock Prints Title: Kinryûzan Temple, Asakusa (Asakusa Kinryûzan), from the series One Hundred Famous Views of Edo (Meisho Edo hyakkei)

1st Publication: July 1856

Size: Vertical ôban; 36.7 x 24.8 cm (14 7/16 x 9 3/4 in.)

Date of this edition: July 1856

Publisher: Uoya Eikichi

Condition: Margins trimmed affecting the seals, soiling, stains and partial color fading. Fair overall condition

More about this print: The color scheme of this composition—red on white—is reserved for propitious occasions, in this case the beginning of winter. The place is the entrance to the temple of the Buddhist deity Kannon in Asakusa, the oldest and most venerable Buddhist temple in Edo. Formally known as Kinryūzan Sensōji, it dates back to 628, when two brothers discovered a tiny gold image of Kannon in their net while fishing on the Sumida River.

The image was enshrined here, and over the centuries the temple became the object of a widespread popular following that remains strong today. As with all popular temples in Hiroshige's time, the Asakusa Kannon Temple was also a major entertainment center.

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.