Shibaura, shiohi-gari no zu|東都名所 芝浦汐干之図|Shell Gathering at Shibaura
Medium
Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Dimensions
H. 9 7/8 in. (25.1 cm); W. 15 in. (38.1 cm)
Classification
Prints
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1922
Accession Number
JP1315
Tags
Art Historical Context
In this vibrant woodblock print, Utagawa Hiroshige the lively scene of *Shell Gathering at Shiba* (Shibaura, shiohi-gari no zu), a popular low-tide activity along the shores of Edo (modern-day Tokyo). During the Edo period (161–1868), residents flocked to Shibaura, a district in the bustling eastern capital, to gather shellfish exposed by the receding tide. Hiroshige's composition teems with figures wading in shallow waters, baskets in hand, while boats dot the horizon under a vast sky—evoking the harmonious blend of urban leisure and nature. As a master of the ukiyo-e ("pictures of the float...
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...