Artist:Utagawa Hiroshige
Medium: Woodblock print
Geograhical Locations:
Dates:4th month of 1856
Dimensions: Sheet: 14 3/16 x 9 1/4 in. (36 x 23.5 cm) Image: 13 3/8 x 8 3/4 in. (34 x 22.2 cm)
Collections:
Exhibitions:
Accession Number: 30.1478.87
Image: 30.1478.87_PS20.jpg,
Catalogue Description:
Inokashira Pond, also known as Seven Spring Pond (Nanai no Ike) because it was fed by seven springs, supplied the Kanda Aqueduct, which formerly served as Edo's primary source of fresh water. In the distance is Nikko Range, with Mount Nantai to the left. In the lower corner is the Benten Shrine (dedicated to the Goddess of water, see discussion of print 83). This is the only frontal view of the shrine in the entire series. Today Inokashira Pond and the adjacent land is known as Inokashira Imperial Gift park, just south of the suburban center of Kichikoji, and a portion of the land has been made into a preserve for water birds (including the egrets shown here). Off in its own space, Benten Shrine still stands guard over the headwaters of the Kanda Aqueduct.