Artist: Utagawa Hiroshige 歌川広重 (1797-1858)
Title: Kinryusan Temple at Asakusa 浅草金龍山
Series: One Hundred Famous Views of Edo 名所江戸百景 Date: 1856
One of the most famous and celebrated images from Hiroshige’s most modernist series. We see the huge red lantern that hangs above the Kaminariomon (“Thunder Gate”) entrance to Asakusa Kannon Temple, also known as Sensoji Temple. This is one of the most recognizable places in Tokyo, and a symbol of Asakusa and probably one of the most popular temples in Japan even today. As most of the buildings were destroyed during World War II, it is nice to have this depiction of how the ancient structure looked. Kinryûzan Sensôji, its formal name, dates back to 628, when two fishermen discovered a small gold image of Kannon in their net; the image was enshrined there, and the temple has had a popular following through the centuries. The auspicious white and red color scheme is used specifically for celebratory occasions. For the lantern, an orange pigment made with lead was chosen so that it would oxidize to an orange-grey, the same way that an orange lantern left out in the elements would discolor over time. It is interesting to see how Hiroshige left the foreground snow without people in the shape of a soft triangle; this has a balancing effect with the inverted triangle that is made by the guide ropes of the lantern, above. One of Hiroshige’s greatest talents was his genius for interior symmetry and harmony, even when at first glance the works are off-center. For this work to have its full effect, it needs to have nice, clean snow, as with this example.
Condition: Excellent color and condition. Very good impression. Beautifully fresh and clean overall, with untrimmed seals in the margins.
References: Henry Smith II: “Hiroshige’s One Hundred Famous Views of Edo”, plate 99. See Brooklyn Museum, Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, British Museum collections.
Dimensions: ôban (36.3 x 24.8 cm) Publisher: Uo-ya Eikichi
Signature: Hiroshige ga
SKU: HIR547
