Maker(s): Katsushika Hokusai
Culture: Japanese (1760-1849)
Title: Koshu Inume-toge [Inume Pass in Kai Province], from the series Fugaku Sanjūrokkei [Thirty-six View of Mount Fuji]
Type: Print
Materials: Woodblock print (woodcut); Nishiki-e, Ink and colors on paper
Place Made: Asia; Japan
Measurements: Mat: 16 1/16 in x 20 in; 40.8 cm x 50.8 cm; Sheet: 10 3/16 in x 15 in; 25.9 cm x 38.1 cm; Image: 8 15/16 in x 13 13/16 in; 22.7 cm x 35.1 cm
Narrative Inscription: SIGNATURE: recto, upp. l. (black ink): [Japanese character, Saki no Hokusai litsu hitsu]; TITLE: recto, upp. l. (blakc ink in cartouche): [Japanese character, Fugaku Sanjurokkei / Koshu / Inume-toge].
Accession Number: MH 1997.2.10
Credit Line: Gift of Mrs. Louis C. Black
As the title suggests, this print depicts Mount Fuji as viewed from Inume Pass in the Kai Province, which now connects the modern day Yamanashi Prefecture to the capital of Tokyo. Delicate lines and bright shades of red and blue bring the landscape to life. Mount Fuji is flanked in red to express the reflecting sunlight coming off the mountain and the swirling, white mist below. Adding to the drama of the piece are the slanting diagonal lines of the mountain and the hill in the foreground along with the craggily trees which are located at the center of the print. The mountain also provides a monumental background for a group of simple travelers who seem to be making their way through the pass on the hill in the foreground.