The Origins of the Kinryuzan Temple at Asakusa
Woodblock Print
ca. 1845-1846 (made)
ca. 1845-1846 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This 'uchiwa-e' (rigid fan print) design by Hiroshige illustrates a Japanese legend. It concerns some fishermen who caught a miniature statue of Kannon, the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy, in their net. Here she is identified by the rays of a halo emanating from the waters of the Sumida River. The village headman recognised the divinity of the statue and rebuilt his house as a temple dedicated to it. He thereby established what later became the Asakusa Kannon or Kinryuzan Sensoji Temple in Edo (modern Tokyo). This event allegedly took place in 628, the last year of the reign of Empress Suiko.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Titles |
|
| Materials and techniques | Colour print from woodblocks |
| Brief description | Woodblock print, Utagawa Hiroshige I; 'The Origins of the Kinryuzan Temple at Asakusa', from the series 'A Compendium of Historical Sites in Edo'; fan print, Japanese, about 1845-1846 |
| Physical description | Fan print, aiban size. Artist signature: Hiroshige ga. Publisher mark: Ibaya Kyubei. |
| Dimensions |
|
| Style | |
| Object history | Purchased from J. S. Happer, accessioned in 1911. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Asia Department registers, as part of a 2022 provenance research project. |
| Summary | This 'uchiwa-e' (rigid fan print) design by Hiroshige illustrates a Japanese legend. It concerns some fishermen who caught a miniature statue of Kannon, the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy, in their net. Here she is identified by the rays of a halo emanating from the waters of the Sumida River. The village headman recognised the divinity of the statue and rebuilt his house as a temple dedicated to it. He thereby established what later became the Asakusa Kannon or Kinryuzan Sensoji Temple in Edo (modern Tokyo). This event allegedly took place in 628, the last year of the reign of Empress Suiko. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | E.528-1911 |
About this object record
Explore the Collections contains over a million catalogue records, and over half a million images. It is a working database that includes information compiled over the life of the museum. Some of our records may contain offensive and discriminatory language, or reflect outdated ideas, practice and analysis. We are committed to addressing these issues, and to review and update our records accordingly.
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
You can write to us to suggest improvements to the record.
Suggest feedback
| Record created | November 20, 2003 |
| Record URL |
Download as: JSONIIIF Manifest
