Utagawa Hiroshige 歌川広重

Inscription verso, bottom right: EGR261; in a later hand verso, bottom right corner: 855[text and poems] Poem: Ishiyama ya (translates to)At Ishiyama temple nio no umi teru (translates to)isn't the reflected moon in the Nio waters sukikage wa (translates to)even more lovely than the moon akashi mo suma mo/okanaranu kana (translates to) at Akashi or Suma?The poem references the visit of Murasaki Shikibu, author of the Tale of Genji, to Ishiyama temple where she wrote a famous poem on the moon reflected in Lake Biwa. "Nio no umi" (Nio sea) is a classical name for Lake Biwa. While at Ishiyamadera (Ishiyama Temple) Lady Murasaki wrote the Akashi and Suma chapters of the novel. Her poem appears on 20.1063 in the collection.

Signature: Hiroshige ga

Seals: Publisher's seal | Hoeido; censor's seal | kiwame