Hokusai (1760 - 1849)
Waterwheel at Onden, 1830-31
Woodblock Print
10.25 x 15.25 in (26.04 x 38.74 cm)
414889
Price on Request
Series: 36 Views of Mt Fuji
Publisher: Eijudo
Fine impression, color and condition.
Ex Collection Sakai Family. They own one of, if not the largest private collection of Japanese prints and the Ukiyo-e Museum in Matsumoto, Japan.
During the Edo period, Onden was a quiet farm village near the Shibuya River, shown here beyond the mill. Today, the area is known as Harajuku, a hotspot for fashion-forward young people. The Shibuya River (also known as the Onden River) was covered over during road construction before the Olympic Games held in Tokyo in 1964. However, it once was a valuable natural resource. As early as 1769, farmers built waterwheels on the river’s tributaries and used them to run grain mills and threshing machines. In this image, two women—one with a wooden bucket, the other with a woven basket—appear to be doing laundry in the millrace. Near them, a boy stares curiously at the waterwheel while his pet turtle tugs at its leash. The two men approaching with heavy sacks are possibly bringing rice to be milled. Credit: Minneapolis Institute of Art, web catalog entry.
For another impression see: Metropolitan Museum of Art, Cat. No. JP2967
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