#49 Sakanoshita gankutsu no Kannon (Cave shrine of Kannon at Sakanoshita)

Utagawa Hiroshige, artist

1797–1858

#49 Sakanoshita gankutsu no Kannon (Cave shrine of Kannon at Sakanoshita), 1855, 7th month, Edo period (1600–1868)

Portfolio/Series title: Gojūsan tsugi meisho zukai (Collected Pictures of the Famous 53 Stations), popularly known as Tate-e Tōkaidō (Vertical Tokaido)

Where object was made: Japan

Material/technique: color woodcut

Dimensions:
Image Dimensions Height/Width (Height x Width): 343 x 226 mm
Image Dimensions Height/Width (Height x Width): 13 1/2 x 8 7/8 in
Sheet/Paper Dimensions (Height x Width): 370 x 248 mm
Sheet/Paper Dimensions (Height x Width): 14 9/16 x 9 3/4 in
Mat Dimensions (Height x Width): 19 x 14 in

Credit line: William Bridges Thayer Memorial

Accession number: 1928.7251

Not on display

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Label texts

Exhibition Label:
"Images of the Journey," Jun-2005, Hillary Pedersen
Religious pilgrimage was a major reason for travel in Japan. Part of the spiritual experience was the physical exertion required to reach a pilgrimage destination, and the area shown here, Sakanoshita, was one of the most difficult areas to access along the To-kaido- road. Rushing rivers cut through precipitous cliffs, the area was sparsely inhabited, and there was always the threat of highwaymen. On the bottom right of the composition, however, the pilgrims make their way up a steep path, stop to eat and admire the view, and are able to make it safely to the cave shrine. Inside are images of the bodhisattva Kannon, a deity whose unfathomable compassion may have protected the travelers as they came to worship.