Fishing by Torch in Kai Province (Koshu hiburi) from the series
- Medium:
- Woodblock print
- Source:
- Art Institute of Chicago
Torchlight fishing (hiburi, or kagari-bi fishing) was practiced across the rivers and lakes of inland Japan, where firelight drew fish to the surface at night. Kai Province (present-day Yamanashi Prefecture) provided productive mountain river fishing grounds along the Fuefuki and Katsura rivers. This print, possibly from a regional landscape series, shows figures working by torchlight, the warm orange glow of the flames set against the cool darkness of moving water and a night sky. The atmospheric contrast between artificial firelight and the surrounding darkness was relatively unusual as a subject in ukiyo-e and reflects Hokusai's interest in extreme light conditions throughout his career. The mountainous topography of Kai, familiar from its interior views of Fuji, may provide the background — peaks receding into darkness beyond the lit surface of the river.
1821
Color woodblock print with metallic pigments; surimono shikishiban
1822
Color woodblock print; shikishiban, surimono
1822
Color woodblock print; shikishiban, surimono
c. 1832
Color woodblock print; oban
1940
Woodblock print
1934
Color woodblock print; oban
Boshu Taikai
1925
Color woodblock print; oban
September 1931
Color woodblock print; oban
Fishing by Torch in Kai Province (Koshu hiburi) from the series was created by Katsushika Hokusai (葛飾北斎).
Fishing by Torch in Kai Province (Koshu hiburi) from the series depicts seascapes and animals.