Skip Navigation

Dawn at Kanda Myojin Shrine, No. 10 in One Hundred Famous Views of Edo

Utagawa Hiroshige

Asian Art

For lyrical effect, Hiroshige often chose a quiet moment rather than a time of high activity. Here he offers a side view of Kanda Myōjin—the unofficial shrine of the citizenry of Edo—in the cool dawn, when the benches of the outdoor teahouse lie empty. Only a corner of the vermillion shrine building is visible. The three figures, all keepers of Kanda Myōjin, look out over the city, anticipating the day's activities.

MEDIUM Woodblock print
  • Place Made: Japan
  • DATES 9th month of 1857
    PERIOD Edo Period, Ansei Era
    DIMENSIONS Image: 13 1/4 x 8 7/8 in. (33.7 x 22.5 cm) Sheet: 14 13/16 x 9 3/16 in. (37.6 x 23.3 cm)  (show scale)
    SIGNATURE Hiroshige-ga
    COLLECTIONS Asian Art
    ACCESSION NUMBER 30.1478.10
    CREDIT LINE Gift of Anna Ferris
    PROVENANCE Prior to 1930, provenance not yet documented; by 1930, acquired by Anna Ferris of Summit, NJ; 1930, gift of Anna Ferris to the Brooklyn Museum.
    Provenance FAQ
    CATALOGUE DESCRIPTION Three figures pause to contemplate the glow of the eastern horizon over a mass of gray roofs below. The place is Kanda Myojin, considered to be the patron shrine of the citizenry of Edo, sharing its honors only with Hie Sanno Shrine (see pl. 51), in the dawn, when the benches of the outdoor teahouse lie empty. The three figures are all keepers of the shrine: a priest to the left, followed by a shrine maiden (miko) and an attendant as they begin their morning rounds. The view over the city, its low horizon back-lit by the rising sun, suggests the watchfulness of Kanda Myojin and its patron deity, the fearful Taira Masakado, over the fortunes of all Edo. The robes of the priest involve three separate bokashi gradations, while the overgarment (hifu) of the miko bears a fine printed cloud pattern, the white of the robes on the figures to the right is executed in fabric printing.
    MUSEUM LOCATION This item is not on view
    CAPTION Utagawa Hiroshige (Japanese, 1797–1858). Dawn at Kanda Myojin Shrine, No. 10 in One Hundred Famous Views of Edo, 9th month of 1857. Woodblock print, Image: 13 1/4 x 8 7/8 in. (33.7 x 22.5 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Gift of Anna Ferris, 30.1478.10 (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 30.1478.10_PS20.jpg)
    IMAGE overall, 30.1478.10_PS20.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph, 2023
    "CUR" at the beginning of an image file name means that the image was created by a curatorial staff member. These study images may be digital point-and-shoot photographs, when we don\'t yet have high-quality studio photography, or they may be scans of older negatives, slides, or photographic prints, providing historical documentation of the object.
    RIGHTS STATEMENT No known copyright restrictions
    This work may be in the public domain in the United States. Works created by United States and non-United States nationals published prior to 1923 are in the public domain, subject to the terms of any applicable treaty or agreement. You may download and use Brooklyn Museum images of this work. Please include caption information from this page and credit the Brooklyn Museum. If you need a high resolution file, please fill out our online application form (charges apply). The Museum does not warrant that the use of this work will not infringe on the rights of third parties, such as artists or artists' heirs holding the rights to the work. It is your responsibility to determine and satisfy copyright or other use restrictions before copying, transmitting, or making other use of protected items beyond that allowed by "fair use," as such term is understood under the United States Copyright Act. The Brooklyn Museum makes no representations or warranties with respect to the application or terms of any international agreement governing copyright protection in the United States for works created by foreign nationals. For further information about copyright, we recommend resources at the United States Library of Congress, Cornell University, Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums, and Copyright Watch. For more information about the Museum's rights project, including how rights types are assigned, please see our blog posts on copyright. If you have any information regarding this work and rights to it, please contact copyright@brooklynmuseum.org.
    RECORD COMPLETENESS
    Not every record you will find here is complete. More information is available for some works than for others, and some entries have been updated more recently. Records are frequently reviewed and revised, and we welcome any additional information you might have.