20 AMAM.OBERLIN.EDU Above: UtagawaHiroshige I 初代目歌川広重 (Japanese, 1797–1858) ReturningSails at Tsukuda, fromthe series Eight Views of Famous Places inEdo, mid-1840s Color woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper MaryA. AinsworthBequest, 1950.1249 Although the closed borders enforced by the Edo government restricted international shipping, a lot of domestic trade was carried out with large cargo vessels such as the ones seen in the background of this print. The location here is the mouth of the Sumida River, one of the major rivers that flowed through the city of Edo into Edo Bay. To the left is Tsukuda Island, with the white banners of the Sumiyoshi Shrine waving in the breeze. The island was home to a community of specialized fishermen brought from Osaka to Edo by orders of the shogun. They knew how to catch tiny but tasty icefish, or shirauo 白魚, that could only be caught at night. The shogun also gave these nocturnal fishermen the duty to act as night watchmen for any activity in Edo Bay. Top right: UtagawaHiroshige I 初代目歌川広 重 (Japanese, 1797–1858) GreyMullet (Bora), Camellia, and Lotus Root, froman untitled series of ten pictures of fish, early 1830s Color woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper MaryA. AinsworthBequest, 1950.1237 This depiction of fish by Hiroshige, and the one below, are not only still lifes matched with poems, but also suggest the refined food culture of Edo. Unlike today, when any food from any climate is available yearround—and we incur the environmental costs of transporting it—these prints point to a strong sense of seasonality and locality for various foods. The grey mullet (Mugil cephalus; Bora 鯔) and the lotus root were available in the waters near Edo only in the fall, when the camellia also began to blossom. The playful poem reads: Look at Fuji’s reflection in the water, And see the mullet climbing up its sides. Thunder shakes the water. The mullet takes fright from a flash of lightning, Or was it a fishhook? —Translation by Ellen Cary and Sally Fisher, from Hiroshige, a Shoal of Fishes (1980) Bottomright: UtagawaHiroshige I 初代目歌 川広重 (Japanese, 1797–1858) Scorpionfish (Kasago), Lavender Snapper (Himedai), andGinger Stalks, froman untitled series of ten pictures of fish, early 1830s Color woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper MaryA. AinsworthBequest, 1950.1236 Sea ruffe or scorpionfish (Sebasticus marmoratus; Kasago 笠子) and lavender snapper (Pristipomoides sieboldii; Himedai 姫鯛) were caught frommid-summer to early fall. The poem notes Misaki Bay, nowMiura, at the mouth of Tokyo Bay. The ginger shoots in the print were harvested in July. Together they suggest a fresh summer dish. The poem reads: The fishermen sail in their boat fromMisaki Bay. Friends shout goodbye, and wish They could hear the replies —Translation by Ellen Cary and Sally Fisher, from Hiroshige, a Shoal of Fishes (1980) Here Hiroshige may be combining the European tradition of still life, or images seen in imported zoological texts, with the Japanese tradition of making prints (gyotaku 魚拓) that record notable catches by inking the fish’s body and printing it on paper.
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