Mikawa no Yatsubashi no kozu / Shokoku Meikyo Kiran
- Medium:
- Woodblock print
- Format:
- Oban
- Source:
- British Museum
Typical Price
- Later reprint (Meiji–Taisho era publishers): $100–$600
- Good later impression (Edo-period, worn block lines): $5,000–$20,000
- Good early impression (sharp lines, strong color): $15,000–$60,000
- Fine early impression (exceptional clarity and condition): $60,000–$150,000
From Hokusai's Remarkable Views of Bridges in Various Provinces (c.1834), an 11-print series showcasing engineering feats from across Japan. The Kintai Bridge and Suspension Bridge designs command the highest prices.
Description
The eight-plank bridge (yatsubashi) of Mikawa Province — the stepping-stone crossing immortalized in the Tales of Ise when Ariwara no Narihira composed a kakitsubata (iris) acrostic on its banks — appears in this print from the Shokoku Meikyo Kiran (Famous Bridges) series. The site's literary associations transformed it from a mere ford into a pilgrimage of poetic memory, endlessly revisited by artists and travelers across the centuries.
More Prints by Katsushika Hokusai
The Fishermen of Katase Hauling in Their Nets: The Purple Shell (Murasakigai)
1821
Color woodblock print with metallic pigments; surimono shikishiban
Burdock Root (Kurama gobo), from the series "A Selection of Horses (Uma-zukushi)"
1822
Color woodblock print; shikishiban, surimono
Horse Shells (Umagai), from the series "A Selection of Horses (Uma-zukushi)"
1822
Color woodblock print; shikishiban, surimono
Orange Orchids, from an untitled series of flowers
c. 1832
Color woodblock print; oban
More Birds & Flowers Prints
Frequently Asked Questions
Mikawa no Yatsubashi no kozu / Shokoku Meikyo Kiran was created by Katsushika Hokusai (葛飾北斎).
Mikawa no Yatsubashi no kozu / Shokoku Meikyo Kiran depicts birds & flowers, rivers & lakes, and bridges.