New Year’s Eve Foxfires at the Changing Tree, Ōji (Ōji Shōzoku enoki Ōmisoka no kitsunebi 王子装束ゑの木大晦日の狐火), from the series “One Hundred Famous Views of Edo” (Meisho Edo hyakkei 名所江戸百景),
1857 [Ansei 4], 9th month
Utagawa Hiroshige 歌川 広重, 1797–1858
Japanese
Edo period, 1603–1868
x1983-41
“Foxfires” refer to strange lights that appear in fields when there is no sign of fire, flickering on and off, and moving strangely from one place to another. They appear from spring to autumn, especially during hot, humid summers, and farmers in the region would forecast the coming year’s harvest according to the number of foxfires they could see. It is said that every New Year’s Eve, foxes would congregate around a nettle tree close to Ōji Inari Shrine in Tokyo, change into formal dress, pay a visit to the shrine, and set foxfires.
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New Year’s Eve Foxfires at the Changing Tree, Ōji (Ōji Shōzoku enoki Ōmisoka no kitsunebi 王子装束ゑの木大晦日の狐火), from the series “One Hundred Famous Views of Edo” (Meisho Edo hyakkei 名所江戸百景)
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Japanese, Edo period (1603–1868), Utagawa Hiroshige 歌川 広重 (1797–1858), New Year’s Eve Foxfires at the Changing Tree, Ōji (Ōji Shōzoku enoki Ōmisoka no kitsunebi 王子装束ゑの木大晦日の狐火), from the series “One Hundred Famous Views of Edo” (Meisho Edo hyakkei 名所江戸百景), 1857 [Ansei 4], 9th month. Woodblock print (ōban tate-e format); ink, mica, and color on paper; 33.3 x 21.9 cm (block), 35.8 x 24 cm (sheet), 48.9 x 36.2 cm (mat). Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Jerome Straka (x1983-41)
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https://artmuseum.princeton.edu/art/collections/objects/15468
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Japanese, Edo period (1603–1868), Utagawa Hiroshige 歌川 広重 (1797–1858), New Year’s Eve Foxfires at the Changing Tree, Ōji (Ōji Shōzoku enoki Ōmisoka no kitsunebi 王子装束ゑの木大晦日の狐火), from the series “One Hundred Famous Views of Edo” (Meisho Edo hyakkei 名所江戸百景), 1857 [Ansei 4], 9th month. Woodblock print (ōban tate-e format); ink, mica, and color on paper; 33.3 x 21.9 cm (block), 35.8 x 24 cm (sheet), 48.9 x 36.2 cm (mat). Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Jerome Straka (x1983-41)
