The Whirlpools of Awa Province thumbnail 1
The Whirlpools of Awa Province thumbnail 2
Image of Gallery in South Kensington
On display at Young V&A
Japan: Myths to Manga

The Whirlpools of Awa Province

Woodblock Print
1854-1858 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Hiroshige's richly coloured 'uchiwa-e' (rigid fan print) design shows the famous whirlpools of Awa Province. They were caused by the tide rushing through the Naruto Straits between Awaji Island and the north-western corner of Tokushima Prefecture on the island of Shikoku. During his last years Hiroshige depicted these whirlpools in a variety of formats. Some experts think that he may have been partly inspired by Katsushika Hokusai's well-known depictions of waves and eddying currents.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Titles
  • The Whirlpools of Awa Province (assigned by artist)
  • Famous Places in the Provinces (series title)
Materials and techniques
Colour print from woodblocks
Brief description
Woodblock print, 'The Whirlpools in Awa Province' from the series 'Famous Places in the Provinces' by Utagawa Hiroshige, fan print, Japan, 1854-1858.
Physical description
Fan print, aiban size. Artist signature: Hiroshige ga. Publisher mark: Iseya Soemon. Censorship seal: aratame.
Style
Object history
Purchased from S. M. Franck & Co., accessioned in 1886. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Asia Department registers, as part of a 2022 provenance research project.
Summary
Hiroshige's richly coloured 'uchiwa-e' (rigid fan print) design shows the famous whirlpools of Awa Province. They were caused by the tide rushing through the Naruto Straits between Awaji Island and the north-western corner of Tokushima Prefecture on the island of Shikoku. During his last years Hiroshige depicted these whirlpools in a variety of formats. Some experts think that he may have been partly inspired by Katsushika Hokusai's well-known depictions of waves and eddying currents.
Collection
Accession number
E.12076-1886

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Record createdNovember 27, 2003
Record URL
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