Minakuchi: Famous Dried Gourd
1833–34 · Woodblock print; ink and colour on paper · Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam
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This print
About this work
- Artist
- Utagawa Hiroshige (1797–1858)
- Year
- 1833–34
- Medium
- Woodblock print; ink and colour on paper
- Original size
- 22.4 × 34.9 cm
- Collection
- Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam (impression RP-P-1952-181; many other impressions exist)
- Movement
- Ukiyo-e
- Series
- Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō
In front of thatched farmhouses, three women prepare kanpyō: one peels a gourd into long strips, another carries a baby on her back, and a third hangs the strips to dry on cords strung between stakes. A traveller strides past under a large tree, and the fields stretch back to a line of trees and a pale blue mountain. The print is number fifty-one in the Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō, published by Hōeidō (Takenouchi Magohachi) in 1833–34. Minakuchi, the fiftieth station, in Ōmi Province, was known for kanpyō, dried strips of gourd used in cooking, which travellers bought as a local speciality; impressions vary in colour and condition.
This full-bleed edition prints the work edge to edge from a high-resolution scan of the original, very slightly cropped (a few percent at most) to fit the sheet. The gallery edition shows the whole work, uncropped. The original is in the public domain.
Where it works
A soft blue ground, a dark tree and looping cords of drying gourd, for a kitchen, dining room or study at 36×24 in natural wood. It pairs with Mariko: Famous Teahouse for two of the road's food specialities.
Style, size & framing detail
- Style
- Ukiyo-e painting
- Era
- 19th century (1833–34)
- Orientation
- Landscape
- Palette
- cornflower blue
- Mood
- calm
- Rooms
- kitchen, dining room, study or library, living room
- Good gift for
- housewarming, travelers, art lovers
Size. We'd hang this one at 36×24. Prints at 18×12, 24×16, 36×24 in — 18×12 for a shelf, desk or a gallery-wall grid; 24×16 above a console or sideboard; 36×24 as the statement piece above a sofa or headboard.
Framing. Printed edge to edge: a slim black or natural wood frame right to the image, or let the canvas wrap do the framing. Also available gallery-wrapped on canvas, ready to hang with no frame.
Pairing. Pairs as a set of three with other famous painting prints (10% off three or more).
Details & materials
Shipping & returns
Is this the whole painting, or a crop?
Is Minakuchi: Famous Dried Gourd in the public domain?
What is it printed on?
When was Minakuchi: Famous Dried Gourd painted, and in what medium?
What size works above a sofa or bed?
About this design
The Madten promise
An exhibition poster
The same artwork as a gallery exhibition poster — title, artist & date typeset beneath the image on a soft ground.
A fine-art print
The same artwork as a clean fine-art print — the image shown large with a minimal caption.
