Title : Tateyama in Etchü

Artist : Totoya Hokkei

Date : c. 1830 - 1834

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Source : Honolulu Museum of Art
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Description : Mountains are sacred, as places to which the kami (gods) are considered to descend and dwell, and as places where the spirits of the ancestors exist. Sacred mountains have been known in Japan from ancient time. Kami resides. Some folk beliefs regard mountains as the dwelling place of the spirits of the ancestors, viewing these spirits and the mountain kami (yama no kami ) as identical. With the rise of Shugendö (an old Japanese way of studying the relationship between Man and Nature), a great number of mountains, such as Ontake, Fuji, Ishizuchi, Daisen, Tateyama and Hiko, came to be venerated as sacred peaks. These mountains are particularly rugged, tall, and/or beautiful, and many are active volcanoes. In ancient times these were difficult to access; thus geographical and geological conditions combined with their visual impact to mark them to be especially venerated. The Chinese style of landscape and his figures recall Hokusai's pictures. In this almost fanciful view, the travelers seem to be amazed by the beauty and unusual views of the sacred place. Hokkei renders the spirits or wind resembling human's faces surrounding the figures, which makes this print surrealistic with the bizzare combination of colors. (from Hokusai His Students exhibition 1/30/2007-)

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