Flying Over the Mountains (Yamagoe), from the series "The Tale of the Auklet (Uto Hanga-kan)"
- Date:
- 1960
- Medium:
- Woodblock print
- Edition:
- Self-printed
- Source:
- Art Institute of Chicago
Description
"Flying Over the Mountains" (Yamagoe) from the series "The Tale of the Auklet" depicts the moment in the narrative when a figure traverses the mountain barrier — the crossing of high terrain that in Japanese mythology and literature marks the transition between worlds. This 1960 print from the "Uto Hanga-kan" series shows Munakata translating the auklet narrative — a story of a bird's northward migration — into human and sacred terms, the mountain crossing rendered with the energy of transformation. The series as a whole used the seabird's journey as a vehicle for Munakata's deepest themes of passage and return.
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Lake Kugushi in Wakasa Province (Wakasa Kugushiko), from the series Souvenirs of Travel I (Tabi miyage dai isshu)"
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The Beach at Kaiganji in Sanuki Province (Sanuki Kaiganji no hama), from the series "Collection of Views of Japan II, Kansai Edition (Nihon fukei shu II Kansai hen)"
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Featured in Collections
Curated cross-cuts that include this print.
Frequently Asked Questions
Flying Over the Mountains (Yamagoe), from the series "The Tale of the Auklet (Uto Hanga-kan)" was created by Shiko Munakata (棟方志功) in 1960.
Yes — Flying Over the Mountains (Yamagoe), from the series "The Tale of the Auklet (Uto Hanga-kan)" is part of the The Tale of the Auklet (Uto Hanga-kan) series by Shiko Munakata.
Flying Over the Mountains (Yamagoe), from the series "The Tale of the Auklet (Uto Hanga-kan)" depicts landscapes, figures, and mythology.