Evening Bell at Ueno thumbnail 1
Not currently on display at the V&A

Evening Bell at Ueno

Woodblock Print
1843-1847 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

The view in this uchiwa-e (rigid fan print) design by Hiroshige is taken from the western end of the bridge that connects the island in the middle of the Shinobazu Pond to the mainland on the south-east edge of Edo's Hongo district. Shades of grey and a hint of purple in the lower sky provide a tranquil backdrop to the scene of two women and a small boy out on an evening stroll. The buildings in the background are part of the Kan'eiji Temple complex, which was built in 1625 as Edo's equivalent of the Enryakuji Temple on Mount Hiei to the north-east of Kyoto. The design is one of a complete set of eight prints owned by the V&A. The Hakkei ('Eight Views') formula was a popular one, having its ultimate source in Chinese paintings of the Xiao and Xiang rivers. It was originally used in Japan in the form of poetic and painterly references to eight famous sites around Lake Biwa in south-west Japan’s Omi Province (modern Shiga Prefecture).


Object details

Categories
Object type
Titles
  • Evening Bell at Ueno (assigned by artist)
  • Eight Views of Edo (series title)
Materials and techniques
Colour print from woodblocks
Brief description
Woodblock print, Utagawa Hiroshige I; 'Evening Bell at Ueno', from the series 'Eight Views of Edo'; fan print, Japanese, 1843-1847
Physical description
Fan print, aiban size. Artist signature: Hiroshige ga. Publisher mark: Ibaya Senzaburo. Censor seal: Yoshimura.
Dimensions
  • Approx. height: 220mm
  • Approx. width: 290mm
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.
Place depicted
Summary
The view in this uchiwa-e (rigid fan print) design by Hiroshige is taken from the western end of the bridge that connects the island in the middle of the Shinobazu Pond to the mainland on the south-east edge of Edo's Hongo district. Shades of grey and a hint of purple in the lower sky provide a tranquil backdrop to the scene of two women and a small boy out on an evening stroll. The buildings in the background are part of the Kan'eiji Temple complex, which was built in 1625 as Edo's equivalent of the Enryakuji Temple on Mount Hiei to the north-east of Kyoto. The design is one of a complete set of eight prints owned by the V&A. The Hakkei ('Eight Views') formula was a popular one, having its ultimate source in Chinese paintings of the Xiao and Xiang rivers. It was originally used in Japan in the form of poetic and painterly references to eight famous sites around Lake Biwa in south-west Japan’s Omi Province (modern Shiga Prefecture).
Collection
Accession number
E.535-1911

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Record createdMarch 11, 2003
Record URL
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