Background
Yoshitoyo I (一代目芳豊) was active c. 1849(51?)–1860 in Osaka and is said to have died in 1862. His personal name was Hyôzô (兵三), his surname Utagawa (歌川), and his clan name Uehara (上原). Among his many gô (secondary art names) were variations on "Hokusui" (北粋, 北翠, 北醉, 北粹, and 北水), which he also used for a geimei (primary art name). One other gô was Gansuitei (含粹亭). He seems to have been a student, at least for a brief time, of the Edo master Utagawa Kuniyoshi (歌川國芳 1798–1861).
The publisher Ishiwa-han (石和板) expanded the title on the cover sheet to Miyako meisho hyakkei (100 Famous Views of the Capital: 都名所百景). The designs feature famous sites in the imperial capital of Kyoto. Five artists collaborated on the series: Umekawa Tôkyo (梅川東居 act. ca. mid 1850-early 1860s designed more than half of the prints, and Yoshitoyo (signing as Hokusui 北水 act. ca. late 1850s–1860) produced twenty-nine. Otherwise, Kawabe Gyokuen (玉園 act. ca. 1850s–75?) contributed thirteen sheets, Utagawa Kunikazu (歌川國員 act. ca. c. 1847–81) provided two sheets, and Raku Shunsui (洛春翠 act. c. late 1850s–early 1860s) submitted just one image. Overall, the series achieves a high percentage of excellent famous views that compares well with the various meisho series published in Edo.
Designs
(Right) Sanjusangendô（三十三間堂）Located in the southern part of Higashiyama (東山), Sanjusangendô（三十三間堂) is one of the most visited temples in Kyoto. Its official name is actually Rengeô-in (蓮華王院), and it is a structure registered as a National Treasure by the Japanese government. Built by Taira no Kiyomori ( 清盛, 1118-81) in 1164 by imperial decree from the retired emperor Go-Shirakawa tennô (後白河天皇 1127-92; r. 1155-58), it was rebuilt after a fire; most of the surviving main hall and 1,001 Buddhist Kannon statues (goddess of mercy; carved in cypress) date back to 1266. Among the standing statues, 124 were carved in the 12th century when the temple was founded, and the remaining 876 were made in the 13th century when the temple was renovated. The Sanjusangendô is the seventeenth temple of the thirty-three Kannon temples in Kyoto. The Higashiyama District, situated along the lower slopes of Kyoto's eastern mountains, is one of the city's best preserved historic districts. In a tradition going back centuries, Sanjusangendô remains the site of annual archery (kyudô 弓道 way of the bow) competitions, although they are scaled back from twelfth and thirteenth-century contests when records were counted in the thousands of arrows. Now, the competitions are part of Seijin no hi (成人の日 Coming of Age Day) national-holiday ceremonies held on the second-Monday in January to mark a twenty-year-old's transition to adulthood (since 2022, the age was lowered to 18). More broadly, competitors (more than 2,000 archers, young men and women but also adults and seniors) line up on the west side of the temple and attempt to hit targets located at the southern end of the grounds, 60 meters away, the length of the temple.
(Center) Jakuô-dera San-no-Taki (若王寺 三の滝), or the "Third Waterfall of Jakuō Temple," is a serene and historically significant waterfall located near Jakuô-dera, a temple nestled in the mountainous region of Ôtsu, Shiga Prefecture, Japan. This area is known for its natural beauty and spiritual heritage, offering visitors a tranquil retreat into nature. The name "San-no-Taki" translates to "Third Waterfall," suggesting the presence of a series of waterfalls in the vicinity, with this being the third. The waterfall is enveloped by lush forests, creating a peaceful atmosphere that has been cherished by visitors and pilgrims alike. The surrounding area is rich in flora and fauna, making it a delightful spot for nature enthusiasts. In this scene, drawn in a style clearly emulating the Edo artist Utagawa Hiroshige (歌川廣重 1797-1858), a few visitors or pilgrims admire the impressive waterfall. Jakuô-dera San-no-Taki was a popular site for misogi (water purification 禊). The ritual can be performed in a rushing river, but traditionally it is purification by waterfall, literally placing oneself under the pounding cascade of a cold waterfall. Misogi is related to another Shinto purification ritual called Harae – thus both are collectively referred to as misogiharae (禊祓).
(Left) Yodo Shûgyô (淀秋暁) "Autumn Daybreak on the Yodo River" depicts close-up and severely truncated (inspired by Utagawa Hiroshige's manner of composition) the roof of a cargo boat moving along the Yodo River (淀川, Yodogawa). The waterway flows from Lake Biwa through Kyoto and Osaka before emptying into Osaka Bay. As a vital transport and trade route during the Edo period, it linked Osaka (merchant city) with Kyoto (Imperial capital), making it crucial for economic and cultural exchange. Given the confluence of three rivers (Ujigawa, Katsuragawa, and Kizugawa) at one point along the Yodogawa, it was also a strategic military nexus. Often depicted in ukiyo-e prints and travel literature, such as like various Tôkaidô meisho zue (Famous Views Along the Tôkaidô 東海道名所図絵), the Yodogawa is celebrated for its scenic views and seasonal landscapes. In Yoshitoyo's print, we can see a bridge with a waterwheel standing before it. The stylized waves in the immediate foreground are rendered in a most unusual manner, approaching more an abstract pattern than representational forms.
Note: These three designs selected from Miyako hyakkei are all very well preserved with excellent color and clean condition and ample margins on all four sides.
References:
- MYH: Miyako hyakkei: saishiki mokuhan gashû (The 100 Scenes of Kyoto Present and Past 都百景 : 彩色木版画集). Kyoto-shi : Kyoto Shinbunsha (京都市 : 京都新聞社), 1994 (photography by Nakagawa Kuniaki 中川邦昭, nos. 10, 26, 49.
- SDK, p. 93, nos. 182-185 (for other designs from the set)
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