Tsukudajima: Sumiyoshi Festival, 1857, 7th lunar month
Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paperexpand_more
Gift of Louis W. Hill, Jr.expand_more P.78.65.134
Not on Viewexpand_more
Tsukudajima is a manmade island at the mouth of the Sumida River in Edo (now Tokyo). Fishermen who settled there from western Japan constructed a shrine dedicated to the god of the sea. This print depicts the highlight of a festival held at the shrine every summer. The white banner in the center is emblazoned with the name of the god, Sumiyoshi Daimyōjin. Behind the banner, a procession of men carry a mikoshi, a portable shrine for transporting the spirit of the god. Onlookers would be wearing fancy festival garments, such as robes decorated with fishes; yet, these men wear little, if anything, at all. Straining and sweating to carry the heavy shrine, they may also be required to bare their bodies in a show of purity.
Details
- Title
- Tsukudajima: Sumiyoshi Festival
- Artist Life
- 1797 - 1858
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- P.78.65.134
- Catalogue Raisonne
- Ukiyo-e shūka 14 (1981), Hiroshige list, p. 250, vertical ōban #62.72
- 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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