The Maple Trees at Mama, the Tekona Shrine and Tsugihashi Bridge - Utagawa Hiroshige

A classic ukiyo-e woodblock print by Utagawa Hiroshige from his One Hundred Famous Views of Edo series. It features autumn maple leaves framing a view of the Tekona Shrine and Tsugihashi Bridge.

This woodblock print is part of Utagawa Hiroshige's series, One Hundred Famous Views of Edo. Published in 1857, it depicts the village of Mama, located east of the Edo River in what is now Chiba Prefecture. The area was a popular destination for autumn excursions due to its maple trees and historical sites mentioned in classical Japanese poetry. The composition employs a framing technique common in Hiroshige's later work. Large maple branches with orange and brown leaves occupy the immediate foreground. These branches create a natural window through which the viewer observes the distant scenery. The artist uses a vertical format to emphasise the height of the trees and the depth of the view. Below the branches, the Tekona Shrine and the Tsugihashi Bridge appear amidst a flat plain. The shrine commemorates Tekona, a woman from local folklore known for her beauty and tragic fate. Hiroshige uses colour gradation, or bokashi, to create depth in the sky and water. The horizon shows a soft red glow, suggesting either sunrise or sunset. The dark blue of the water in the foreground recedes into lighter tones. Small figures walk across the bridge and near the thatched roofs of the village, providing a sense of scale to the wide environment. The use of negative space in the centre of the image directs the eye toward the distant mountains and the flight of birds. The print reflects the Edo period interest in meisho-e, or pictures of famous places. It documents a specific geographical location while adhering to the aesthetic standards of the ukiyo-e genre. The balance between the bold foreground elements and the delicate details of the village is a characteristic feature of this series. This work was produced during the final years of the artist's life and demonstrates his mastery of the woodblock medium.