Full Moon with a Cuckoo Flying above the Masts of Moored Boats
Woodblock Print
ca. 1855 (made)
ca. 1855 (made)
Artist/Maker | |
Place of origin |
The simple but well-balanced composition in this uchiwa-e (rigid fan print) design by Hiroshige is inscribed with a haiku (a 17-syllable poem). The poem reads:
Hitokoe wa
Tsuki ga naita ka
Hototogisu
(A single call
Did the moon cry out?
A passing cuckoo.)
The sense is that if someone hears a cuckoo cry, by the time they look up the bird has already flown past, so it seems as if the moon has called out. The rib marks on this print reveal that it was previously mounted as a fan.
Hitokoe wa
Tsuki ga naita ka
Hototogisu
(A single call
Did the moon cry out?
A passing cuckoo.)
The sense is that if someone hears a cuckoo cry, by the time they look up the bird has already flown past, so it seems as if the moon has called out. The rib marks on this print reveal that it was previously mounted as a fan.
Object details
Categories | |
Object type | |
Title | Full Moon with a Cuckoo Flying above the Masts of Moored Boats (popular title) |
Materials and techniques | Colour print from woodblocks |
Brief description | Woodblock print, Utagawa Hiroshige I; Full Moon with a Cuckoo Flying above the Masts of Moored Boats; fan print, Japanese, about 1855 |
Physical description | Fan print, aiban size. Artist signature: Hiroshige ga. Publisher mark: Enshuya Matabei. |
Dimensions |
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Style | |
Credit line | Webb Bequest |
Summary | The simple but well-balanced composition in this uchiwa-e (rigid fan print) design by Hiroshige is inscribed with a haiku (a 17-syllable poem). The poem reads: Hitokoe wa Tsuki ga naita ka Hototogisu (A single call Did the moon cry out? A passing cuckoo.) The sense is that if someone hears a cuckoo cry, by the time they look up the bird has already flown past, so it seems as if the moon has called out. The rib marks on this print reveal that it was previously mounted as a fan. |
Collection | |
Accession number | E.4860-1919 |
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Record created | December 17, 2003 |
Record URL |
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