100 Views of Edo #80 by Ando Hiroshige

Artist: Ando Utagawa Hiroshige (1787-1858)

Woodblock Prints Title: 100 Views of Edo #80 - Kanasugi Bridge and Shibaura

1st Publication: July 1857

Size: 13-1/2 x 8-7/8 + Margins as shown

Date of this edition: 1857

Publisher: Uoya Eikichi

Condition: Backed on some Edo era paper. Purple Color faded. Some repaired areas. Some soiling. The left margin seal seems to be restored too. Fair overall condition.

More about this print: This colorful procession is a group of Nichiren Buddhists crossing the Kanasugi Bridge along the stretch of coast known as Shibaura. The autumn season assigned to the print suggests that it is Oeshiki, the thirteenth day of the Tenth Month, the day Nichiren, the founder of this particular Buddhist sect, died in 1282.

Whether the procession is en route to or returning from its destination, the temple where Nichiren died, is unclear. Perhaps what Hiroshige has done is to show the two faces of the pilgrimage: the exuberant setting out under fluttering banners in the foreground, and the exhausted return of the pilgrims in the background, huddled under hats and umbrellas.

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.