Mannen Bridge, Fukagawa (Fukagawa Mannenbashi), No.56 from the series "One Hundred Famous Views of Edo (Meisho Edo hyakkei)"
Medium
Color woodblock print
Dimensions
36 × 23.7 cm (14 3/16 × 9 3/8 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
150298
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
This turtle, dangling from the post of a bridge, may have been strung up to show that it would soon be set free into the water. Turtles are a delicacy in Japan, but peddlers were known to release some of their catch as a Buddhist ritual to bring good karma. The curious scene has another layer of meaning: Turtles are known for their long lifespan, echoing the name of the pictured bridge, Mannen, which means “10,000 years.”
About the Artist
Utagawa Hiroshige · 1826–1869
Utagawa Hiroshige (1797–1858), born Andō Tokutarō, was the last great master of Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock printmaking and one of the most influential landscape artists in history. Born in Edo (modern Tokyo) into a low-ranking samurai family serving as fire wardens, Hiroshige transformed landscape printmaking into a poetic meditation on nature, weather, and everyday life. His revolutionary approac...