Nihonbashi Bridge and Edobashi Bridge (Nihonbashi to Edobashi), No. 43 from One Hundred Famous Views of Edo
Utagawa Hiroshige
Asian Art
This print is the first of the summer designs in the series, and like the first part of the spring group it depicts Nihonbashi, the famous bridge at the center of downtown Edo. The fish in the bucket at the lower right represents the famous "first bonito"—a type of tuna—that signified the beginning of summer. Fishermen competed annually to bring the earliest catch of the bonito schools to the Edo market, knowing that they could command outrageous prices. The appeal lay less in the taste of the fish than in its rarity.
MEDIUM
Woodblock print
DATES
12th month of 1857
PERIOD
Edo Period, Ansei Era
DIMENSIONS
14 1/4 x 9 1/4in. (36.2 x 23.5cm)
Sheet: 14 1/4 x 9 1/4 in. (36.2 x 23.5 cm)
Image: 13 3/8 x 8 3/4 in. (33.9 x 22.2 cm) (show scale)
MARKINGS
Publisher: Shitaya Uo Ei
SIGNATURE
Hiroshige-ga
COLLECTIONS
Asian Art
ACCESSION NUMBER
30.1478.43
CREDIT LINE
Gift of Anna Ferris
PROVENANCE
Prior to 1930, provenance not yet documented; by 1930, acquired by Anna Ferris of Summit, NJ; 1930, gift of Anna Ferris to the Brooklyn Museum.
Provenance FAQ
CATALOGUE DESCRIPTION
The first of the thirty prints assigned to the "Summer" series with a view of the Nihonbashi Bridge at the center of downtown Edo. The composition is wholly innovative: the viewer is situated only about four feet above the surface of the bridge, its dramatic form in the foreground set against a distant landscape. On the left, there is a metal finial on the post; such ornaments were reserved for bridges of distinction (see print 76 of the series). In the lower right there is a bucket containing the famous "first bonito" (hatsugatsuo) that the Edo citizens prized highly. Fishermen competed in the early summer to rush the earliest catch to Edo's market, knowing that they could command very high prices. The appeal for this fish was not so much in its taste but for its rarity. This view faces east toward the rising sun (the meaning of the bridge's name) which is seen as a red arc between the trees above the foot of Edobashi, the bridge in the distance.
EXHIBITIONS
MUSEUM LOCATION
This item is not on view
CAPTION
Utagawa Hiroshige (Japanese, 1797–1858). Nihonbashi Bridge and Edobashi Bridge (Nihonbashi to Edobashi), No. 43 from One Hundred Famous Views of Edo, 12th month of 1857. Woodblock print, 14 1/4 x 9 1/4in. (36.2 x 23.5cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Anna Ferris, 30.1478.43 (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 30.1478.43_PS20.jpg)
IMAGE
overall, 30.1478.43_PS20.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph, 2023
"CUR" at the beginning of an image file name means that the image was created by a curatorial staff member. These study images may be digital point-and-shoot photographs, when we don\'t yet have high-quality studio photography, or they may be scans of older negatives, slides, or photographic prints, providing historical documentation of the object.
RIGHTS STATEMENT
No known copyright restrictions
This work may be in the public domain in the United States. Works created by United States and non-United States nationals published prior to 1923 are in the public domain, subject to the terms of any applicable treaty or agreement.
You may download and use Brooklyn Museum images of this work. Please include caption information from this page and credit the Brooklyn Museum. If you need a high resolution file, please fill out our online application form (charges apply).
The Museum does not warrant that the use of this work will not infringe on the rights of third parties, such as artists or artists' heirs holding the rights to the work. It is your responsibility to determine and satisfy copyright or other use restrictions before copying, transmitting, or making other use of protected items beyond that allowed by "fair use," as such term is understood under the United States Copyright Act.
The Brooklyn Museum makes no representations or warranties with respect to the application or terms of any international agreement governing copyright protection in the United States for works created by foreign nationals.
For further information about copyright, we recommend resources at the United States Library of Congress, Cornell University, Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums, and Copyright Watch.
For more information about the Museum's rights project, including how rights types are assigned, please see our blog posts on copyright.
If you have any information regarding this work and rights to it, please contact copyright@brooklynmuseum.org.
RECORD COMPLETENESS
Not every record you will find here is complete. More information is available for some works than for others, and some entries have been updated more recently. Records are frequently reviewed and revised, and we welcome any additional information you might have.
