Artist:Utagawa Hiroshige
Medium: Woodblock print
Geograhical Locations:
Dates:4th month of 1856
Dimensions: Sheet: 14 3/16 x 9 1/4 in. (36 x 23.5 cm) Image: 13 3/8 x 8 3/4 in. (34 x 22.2 cm)
Collections:
Exhibitions:
Accession Number: 30.1478.88
Image: 30.1478.88_PS20.jpg,
Catalogue Description: This is a view of the Shakujii River in the Oji district; two other views of the river were seen in prints 19 and 49 of the series. One of the attractions here was the autumn display of maple trees planted along the banks, however the once-brilliant orange ink of the print has blackened with age. The pigment used here was either red lead or iron oxide, both of which can blacken over time with exposure to the atmosphere. The Matsubashi Bridge (Pine Bridge) shown here offered convenient access to the Oji Gongen Shrine and its affiliated temple of Kinrinji. The yellow roof at the upper right is the Matsubashi Benten Shrine and further to the right, against the margin, is the main hall of Kongoji Temple, in whose precincts the Benten Shrine was located. The temple became known as Momijidera or Maple Temple and survives today near Maple Bridge. The Takinogawa ("waterfall river") of the title applies to the area south of the river, although it would seem to be an appropriate name for the river at this point, which is known for its Seven Falls. The one to the right was known as Benten Falls. Today this entire stretch of river is a concrete channel, accommodating a high-rise apartment complex.