100 Views of Edo # 32 by Ando Hiroshige

Additional Pictures: Artist: Ando Hiroshige (1787-1858)

Woodblock Print Title: Yanagishima (Yanagishima), from the series One Hundred Famous Views of Edo (Meisho Edo hyakkei)

1st Publication: April 1857

Size: Oban; 14 3/16 x 9 1/4 in. (36 x 23.5 cm)

Date of this edition: April 1857

Publisher: Uoya Eikichi

Condition: Pin holes in the left margin, minor soiling, imperceptible color burn.

More about this print: Hidden in the trees against the left margin of this print is a large temple building called Myoken Hall. The worship of the Bodhisattva Myoken, the deification of the Big Dipper, was widespread in Edo, particularly among entertainers, and this temple at Yanagishima was the center of the cult.

In the center of the print is the restaurant Hashimoto, which Hiroshige pictures with its windows bright and beckoning. Beyond these two famous attractions is a rural landscape with the familiar shape of Mount Tsukuba looming far above.

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.