Reproduction of: Old Picture of Boat Bridge, Sano, Kōzuke, from the series Wondrous Views of Famous Bridges in Various Provinces (Kōzuke Sano funabashi no ko zu, Shokoku meikyō kiran)　

Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849) and his publisher, Nishimuraya Yohachi issued ‘Old Picture of Boat Bridge, Sano, Kōzuke’ (Kōzuke Sano funabashi no ko zu) from the series ‘Wondrous Views of Famous Bridges in Various Provinces’ (Shokoku meikyō kiran) around 1834.

Bridge construction was incredibly varied, as demonstrated by the fascinating examples of structural engineering pictured in this series. The Old Boat Bridge at Sano in Kōzuke no longer existed when Hokusai made this design. Instead the artist took inspiration from its description in a poem in the early 8th-century compilation, ‘A Collection of Ten Thousand Leaves’ (J. Manyōshū 万葉集). [1] Hokusai’s bridge at Sano is a pontoon bridge, designed to float on the water’s surface.

Four travellers, one on horseback, are shown making the crossing. It is a cold, snowy day and the bridge has drifted out to form an arc on the river. The water is an icy-blue, and waves froth white as they slap against the sides of the bridge. A leaden sky hangs above the snow-capped hills, trees and buildings. Hokusai uses a sober palette of black, grey, brown, yellow, green and blue to atmospheric effect.

The print in the Sainsbury Centre Collection is a reproduction of Hokusai’s original design. The composition has been cropped (not trimmed) on the right and left sides. The title cartouche (top right) is red, when it should be yellow. Hokusai’s signature ‘Brush of Iitsu, the former Hokusai’ (J. Saki no Hokusai Iitsu hitsu) should be located to the right of the cartouche. A ‘kiwame’ seal and a square publisher’s seal, both printed in red, are missing from the bottom-left corner of the design. The reproduction of Hokusai’s design is possibly 20th century.

Vanessa Tothill, May 2020

[1] Tim Clark, ed., Hokusai: Beyond the Great Wave (London: Thames and Hudson, 2017), p. 159.