Kanasugi At Mikawashima

Utagawa Hiroshige’s poetic landscape prints are world famous, being some of the most recognisable work from the ukiyo-e tradition. This image is from his astounding ‘One Hundred Famous Views of Edo’ series, and depicts two cranes. These birds were considered auspicious and were carefully protected, hence the figure carrying buckets of rice with which to feed them.