Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paperexpand_more
Gift of Louis W. Hill, Jr.expand_more P.75.51.163
In the 1810s, the well-established publisher Nishimuraya Yohachi issued
five prints designed by Ryūryūkyō Shinsai (1764'–1820) depicting
landscapes framed by borders and decorated with Dutch lettering. In the
early 1830s, the publisher Ezakiya Kichibei apparently acquired the
blocks to Shinsai’s five prints, republishing them alongside five new
designs commissioned from Eisen, since Shinsai had already died. The
letters were understood at the time to be Dutch, but they were still
exotic and merely a design element. In fact, not all of them are
accurately written, making the text therefore difficult to make out. This
print, part of Eisen’s addition, takes the Kan’eiji temple in today’s Ueno
district as its motif, which was constructed in 1625 and went on to
become one of the largest temple compounds in all Japan during the
later Edo period. The island in the Shinobazu Pond still exists today, and
is home to the Benten Hall (Bentendō).
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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