Fair Travellers Fording the River Oi
Utagawa Toyokuni I Japanese
Wakasaya Yoichi Japanese
Not on view
For military reasons, the Tokugawa government prohibited the building of substantial bridges across the Ōi River near Kanaya station, presently in Shizuoka Prefecture; thus, the river was a dangerous obstacle for travelers. Here, women of lower classes are shown being carried across the river on the shoulders of porters, while high-ranking ladies are seated in a lacquered palanquin that rests upon the porters' shoulders.
Utagawa Toyokuni is given credit for leading the Utagawa school to dominance of the late ukiyo-e tradition.
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