"Fuji from Umbrella Maker's Yard in Aoyama"

From the "Thirty-six Views of Mount Fuji" (Fugaku sanjurokkei) series, this composition frames the mountain through the geometric interplay of Japanese paper umbrellas (wagasa) in various stages of construction. The circular bamboo frames of unfinished umbrellas create a rhythmic foreground pattern, their skeletal ribs contrasting with the smooth, snow-capped silhouette of Fuji in the distance. The Prussian blue (bero-ai) that Hokusai adopted from European pigments defines the mountain and sky, while warmer tones ground the image in the material world of Edo-period craft production. The design exemplifies Hokusai's recurring strategy of embedding the sacred mountain within scenes of ordinary labor — a tool-maker's yard given dignity by its proximity to an enduring natural form. The oban-format print belongs to the series published by Nishimuraya Yohachi beginning around 1830.