The Shrine of Benten on Chikubushima Island
1821
Medium
nishikie, with metallic pigments and blindprinting
Dimensions
182; 208
About this artwork
height 208 mm x width 182 mm
Art Historical Context
**The Shrine of Benten on Chikub Island** (1821) by Totoya Hokkei captures a serene moment at one of Japan's most evocative sacred sites. Hokkei, a prominent ukiyo-e artist and pupil of the legendary Katsushika Hokusai, created this intimate woodblock print during the late Edo period, when depictions of famous views (meisho-e) were wildly popular. The tiny format—208 mm high by 182 mm wide—suggests it was designed for personal appreciation, perhaps tucked into a collector's album. The subject is Chikubushima Island in Lake Biwa, home to a historic shrine dedicated to Benzaiten, the goddess of...
About the Artist
Totoya Hokkei · 1780–1850
Totoya Hokkei (魚屋 北渓, 1780–1850), born Iwakubo Tatsuyuki in Edo (modern Tokyo), began his life as a humble fishmonger in the Yotsuya Samegahashi district, a trade reflected in his art name "Totoya," meaning fish shop. He transitioned to art through rigorous training, first studying under Kanō Yōsen'in Korenobu, head of the Kobikichō branch of the prestigious Kanō school, where he honed landscape p...