Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849)
Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849)

Bushu Tamagawa (The Tama “Jewel” River in Musashi province)

Details
Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849)
Bushu Tamagawa (The Tama “Jewel” River in Musashi province)
Woodblock print, from the series Fugaku sanjurokkei (Thirty-six views of Mount Fuji), signed saki no Hokusai Iitsu hitsu (drawn by Iitsu, formerly Hokusai), published by Nishimuraya Yohachi (Eijudo)
10 x 14 3/8 in. (25.4 x 36.5 cm.)

Lot Essay

The Jewel River in Musashi Province (Musashi Tatsukuri) is known as one of the Six Jewel Rivers (Mu Tamagawa) often depicted as a subject of allusive picture (mitate-e) of beauties by many artists.
This river is written in a poem by an unknown poet contained in vol. 14 of the Man'yoshu (Collection of a Myriad Leaves), the anthology of classic verse written before 760:
Tamagawa ni sarasu tetsukuri sarasarani mukashi no fude to sarani omowazu
(When I bleach the softest hand-made cotton in the Jewel River, I recall the love letter I once wrote to you.)

More from Japanese and Korean Art

View All
View All