New Year's Eve Foxfires at the Changing Tree, Ōji, 1857, 9th month
Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper with micaexpand_more
Gift of Louis W. Hill, Jr.expand_more P.75.51.384
Not on Viewexpand_more
Most prints in Hiroshige’s One Hundred Views of Edo illustrate actual views, but this scene is imaginary. In Shinto belief, foxes are messengers of the gods and protectors of shrines dedicated to Inari, the god of grain. Ōji Shrine, in what is now the northern section of Tokyo, is one of the most important Inari shrines in Japan. According to legend, foxes from throughout eastern Japan journey there to pay their respects to Inari on New Year’s Eve. They gather at a nearby hackberry tree and don formal clothes for the event. Foxes’ supernatural power enables them to emit the mysterious small flames seen here.
White foxes are supposed to be especially old and potent. Hiroshige pictured the foxes beneath the ancient tree, their small fires eerily illuminating their pale bodies. Shades of gray create an evocative atmosphere for the supernatural scene.
Details
- Title
- New Year's Eve Foxfires at the Changing Tree, Ōji
- Artist Life
- 1797 - 1858
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- P.75.51.384
- Catalogue Raisonne
- Ukiyo-e shūka 14 (1981), Hiroshige list, p. 250, vertical ōban #62.25
- Curator Approved
This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.
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