魚づくし ぼらにうど|Bora Fish with Camellia, from the series Uozukushi (Every Variety of Fish)
1830s
Medium
Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Dimensions
9 7/8 x 14 9/16 in. (25.1 x 37 cm)
Classification
Prints
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Bryan Holme, 1980
Accession Number
JP3593
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the vibrant world of Edo-period Japan, Utagawa Hiroshige (1797–1858), a master of ukiyo-e wood prints, captured the beauty of everyday life and nature. This charming print, *Bora Fish with Cam* from the series *Uukushi* (Every of Fish), dates to the 1830s. Part of a celebrated set showcasing Japan's abundant seafood, it features a glistening bora (mullet) paired with delicate camellia leaves and blossoms, evoking seasonal harmony and poetic elegance. Hiroshige's genius shines in his masterful use of ink and color on paper, achieved through the intricate woodblock technique—known as *nishik...
About the Artist
Utagawa Hiroshige · 1826–1869
Utagawa Hiroshige (1797–1858), born Andō Tokutarō, was the last great master of Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock printmaking and one of the most influential landscape artists in history. Born in Edo (modern Tokyo) into a low-ranking samurai family serving as fire wardens, Hiroshige transformed landscape printmaking into a poetic meditation on nature, weather, and everyday life. His revolutionary approac...