Splendid View at Futamigaura Bay

These three prints form a continuous scene of figures visiting Futamigaura Bay near Ise Grand Shrine, one of Japan’s most sacred places. In the background, the sun rises between the “Wedded Rocks” joined by a twisted rope, called a shimenawa, used to designate a sanctified space. The rocks mark the entrance to Futami Okitama Shrine and are said to be embodiments of Izanagi and Izanami, the gods who, according to myth, created Japan. Futamigaura was a place where pilgrims purified themselves before visiting Ise and often lodged afterwards.

A horizontal triptych of color woodblock prints depicts people with light skin tones in blue and grey patterned robes on a dark shoreline. On our left, an older woman points toward two rocks connected by a rope. In the center, a woman stands near cartouches of Japanese calligraphy as children play nearby. To our right, one woman shields her eyes while another sits under a wooden shelter. A large red sun hangs overhead.

Splendid View at Futamigaura Bay

1854

Utagawa Kuniyoshi

(Japanese, 1797–1861)

Japan, Edo period (1615–1868)

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