Same image as 54.1.7 and 54.1.5.

On mat in pencil: JO XX set 52. Signed: Hiroshige ga.

Nishiki-e, horizontal oban; colored ink on paper.

Color woodblock print of many figures in action outside of a large building in Megawa village.

Travelers drop in and out of a large teahouse at the village of Mekawa near Ishibe. Iseya, the store in this scene, was known for its specialties---dishes of bean curd (tofu) coated with bean paste, and rice boiled with vegetables.
The storefront is covered by a large overhang that is open and without walls, making a sheltered, airy place for travelers. A bench is placed at one corner, and at the other end, a large marsh-reed screen protects patrons from the direct sun. Around the front and sides of the overhang is a short curtain (noren) with the store's name in white letters against the dyed dark blue background. In katazome, this method of dyeing, a rice-paste resist is applied by pencil to define the design, or as here the characters on the sign. This substance resists the dye, and ultimately the stenciled design appears in white---the natural color of the cloth---against a dyed ground.
The red tembokashi in the sky expresses the feeling of morning.
(ref. “Hokusai and Hiroshige,” p.215 )

Hoedi (Takenouchi Mafohachi) seal.

This object has the following keywords:

• Hiroshige's Tokaido (c. 1833-1834)
• Tokaido Road, Japan

This object is a member of the following portfolios: