Utagawa Hiroshige “the Fudō Waterfall At ōji”.

“Series The Hundred Famous Views of Edo”. This plate is remarkable for its verticality in the representation of the waterfall of the Fudō waterfall in the north of Edo. It is based on the Koban format which is a rare small format. This natural element is named after Fudō Myōō, the king of wisdom in esoteric Buddhism. According to legend, a young woman prayed naked for a hundred days under the waterfall to ask for healing for her sick father and since then many followers have bathed and prayed for their health. At the top of the waterfall, a sacred hemp rope (shimenawa) indicates the sanctity of the place. Several figures are depicted at the foot of the waterfall: a man in the water, a servant girl pouring tea to a man who, probably, has just come out of the pond and two ladies in rich dresses walking around. According to period documents, the waterfall was in reality smaller, but Hiroshige, as is often the case, transforms reality to clearly symbolize the power of Fudō Myōō. Copy on Japanese paper (Washi) made from paper mulberry (Kôzo). The red-ground cartouche on the left at the bottom bears the artist's signature. The red background box at the top right indicates the name of the series. The adjacent white background title block gives the title of the work. September 1857 (Hiroshige died in October 1858) Dimensions: 14 cm x 20 cm