Utagawa Hiroshige II (1826–1869)
Signed: 'Hiroshige ga'
Date: 1859, 10th month
Publisher: Uoya Eikichi
Sealed: combined 'aratame' (certified) and date seal 'Goat, 10' (1859, 10th month)
34.9 x 24 cm. (13 ¾ x 9 ½ in.)
Kirifuri Waterfall (霧降の滝, Kirifuri no taki) is an impressive, two-tiered waterfall located a few kilometres northeast of the temples and shrines of Nikko. The view of the elegant falls cascading down the mountain provides a picturesque contrast to the surrounding foliage, which is lush and green in spring and summer and turns to shades of red, orange and gold in autumn.
The name Kirifuri means "falling mist" after the fine mist that is created when the water crashes against the rocks at the bottom of the lower falls. Here, the green of spring or summer is expertly captured by Hiroshige II in this bold and dramatic design.
The series One Hundred Views of Famous Places in the Provinces was published by Uoya Eikichi between 1859-1861 and was an uncompleted set of eighty-one prints in total.
A similar impression of the 1st edition is in the collection of the Edo-Tokyo Museum, go to: https://museumcollection.tokyo/works/6239853/