100 Views of Edo # 109 by Ando Hiroshige

Artist: Ando Utagawa Hiroshige (1787-1858)

Woodblock Prints Title: Minami-Shinagawa and Samezu Coast (Minami-Shinagawa Samezu kaigan), from the series One Hundred Famous Views of Edo (Meisho Edo hyakkei)

1st Publication: February 1857

Size: Vertical oban; 35.4 x 25 cm (13 15/16 x 9 13/16 in.)

Date of this edition: February 1857

Publisher: Uoya Eikichi

Condition: Rubbing, soiling a thin area, horizontal centerfold now flattened, loss in the lower margin repaired. Excellent colors and impression, fair to good overall condition.

More about this print: Samezu, the coastal area of Edo Bay south of the Shinagawa settlement, cultivated nori, a type of seaweed in which sushi is wrapped. In the autumn, long rows of tree branches stuck into the shallow waters provided a growing medium for the nori. From winter into the following spring, the seaweed would then be harvested at low tide, usually by women in small boats as we see here. The nori cultivated in Edo Bay was prized as the best in Japan, and though this particular stretch of coast has been filled in, the cultivation of the plant is still carried on in the traditional way elsewhere in the bay.

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.