Saruwaka-machi yoru no kei, by Hiroshige

An image of Saruwaka-machi yoru no kei. Hiroshige, Utagawa (Japanese, 1797-1858). Colour print from woodblocks. Ôban. Signed: Hiroshige ga. Publisher: Uoei (Uoya Eikichi). Date seal: Dragon 9 (9/1856). Censor’s seal: aratame. 1856. Ukiyo-e. Notes: No. 90 from the series Meisho Edo hyakkei (One hundred famous views of Edo), in the section for Autumn. Saruwaka-machi in Asakusa was named after the founder of Edo kabuki theatre, Saruwaka Kanzaburô. The officially approved kabuki and puppet theatres were relocated here after a fire destroyed the old theatre districts in 1841. Theatres and teahouses lined the street and an entrance gate stood at the south (far) end. The east (left) side is seen to be dominated by teahouses; waitresses appear on the verandah and men with lanterns escort the departing guests. On the other side the three main kabuki theatres are identified by a boxed turret on the roof. The Morita-za (near right) had only recently reopened in the spring of 1856. The view shows the full moon of the eighth month, with the theatres closed before the new season opened in the ninth month. The depiction of shadows derives from the introduction of Western pictorial ideas into Japan.

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Saruwaka-machi yoru no kei. Hiroshige, Utagawa (Japanese, 1797-1858). Colour print from woodblocks. Ôban. Signed: Hiroshige ga. Publisher: Uoei (Uoya Eikichi). Date seal: Dragon 9 (9/1856). Censor’s seal: aratame. 1856. Ukiyo-e. Notes: No. 90 from the series Meisho Edo hyakkei (One hundred famous views of Edo), in the section for Autumn. Saruwaka-machi in Asakusa was named after the founder of Edo kabuki theatre, Saruwaka Kanzaburô. The officially approved kabuki and puppet theatres were relocated here after a fire destroyed the old theatre districts in 1841. Theatres and teahouses lined the street and an entrance gate stood at the south (far) end. The east (left) side is seen to be dominated by teahouses; waitresses appear on the verandah and men with lanterns escort the departing guests. On the other side the three main kabuki theatres are identified by a boxed turret on the roof. The Morita-za (near right) had only recently reopened in the spring of 1856. The view shows the full moon of the eighth month, with the theatres closed before the new season opened in the ninth month. The depiction of shadows derives from the introduction of Western pictorial ideas into Japan.

Image data

Accession Number: P.188-1946
Photograph copyright © The Fitzwilliam Museum, Cambridge.
Photographer name: Image Library; Fitzwilliam Museum
Image height: 1025 pixels
Image width: 695 pixels
Processed with: Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 5.0 (Windows)
Filesize: 821.15kB

Key words

19th Century animal animals architectural architecture Asakusa balcony building buildings cities city city dwellers city streets colour printing dogs Edo Period exterior Fitz_PDP full moon Hiroshige Japan Japanese lunar moon moonlight moonlit night night sky nocturnal oban print streets theatre ukiyo-e Utagawa Hiroshige veranda woodblock woodcut

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            The Fitzwilliam Museum (2024)
            "Saruwaka-machi yoru no kei, by Hiroshige"
            Web page available at: https://data.fitzmuseum.cam.ac.uk/id/image/media-218288 Accessed: 2024-12-27 09:55:17

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            University of Cambridge}}

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