Title : Futamigaura in Ise Province

Artist : Utagawa Hiroshige

Date : 1859

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Source : Honolulu Museum of Art
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Description : Mt. Fuji is seen across a wide expanse of calm sea from the beach at Futami, Ise Province, with the ""husband and wife"" rocks in the foreground. The rocks off the Ise peninsula resonate with Japan’s tradition and folklore while the distant Mt. Fuji is bathed in a rosy glow from the horizon. This is an unusual positioning of Fuji, at such great distance from the front of the picture plane. (from “View from an Enchanted Window: Hiroshige and Mt. Fuji” exhibition, 3/16/2006-) **************** Like the painting displayed nearby, this print depicts an unusual scene of the Meoto Iwa (literally “Wedded Rocks”) in Ise Province, where Mount Fuji is said to be visible at about the time of the summer solstice, when weather conditions permit, despite the great distance. The band of red on the horizon suggests that it is dawn. Ise Shrine is dedicated to Amaterasu Ömikami (the sun goddess), the ancestor of all Japanese people according to Shinto belief. One of the most sacred places in Japan, Ise was an important pilgrimage site during the Edo period, although its distance from the capital made it more remote for Edoites (such as Hiroshige) than Mount Fuji. Even now, many tourists still visit the Wedded Rocks to watch the sunrise, perhaps hoping against the odds to catch a glimpse of far-away Mount Fuji. “Hokusai’s Summit: Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji” (09/24/2009-01/06/2010) ******************************

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