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Lot Essay
Seba, present day in the Matumoto City in Nagano Prefecture, was the thirty-first station from Nihonbashi along the Nakasendo Road (technically, the Kisokaido formed part of the Nakasendo, although the two names were often used interchangeably). Seba also marked the beginning of the Hokkoku Nishi Kaido (Western Road to the North), a branch route leading toward Zenkoji Temple in Nagano City, and an important route for pilgrims traveling to the celebrated temple.
The name Seba literally means “washing horse” and is traditionally associated with a legend. Minamoto no Yoshinaka (1154-1184)'s retainer washed his master’s horse in the nearby waters, whereupon the wounds on the animal’s hooves were miraculously healed.
Beyond its importance as a transportation hub, Seba owes much of its enduring appeal to Hiroshige’s remarkably poetic treatment of the landscape. The trees, reeds, figures, and boats all lean toward the right, creating the impression of a breeze and lending a sense of movement to the otherwise tranquil scene (also see lot 121, Arashiyama). Above, a large full moon hangs low on the horizon. Its juxtaposition with the tall reeds recalls a classic subject in Japanese art, the Musashi Plain (see The Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession no. 67.235), which is often associated with autumn. Through these familiar visual associations, Hiroshige transforms a busy crossroads and pilgrimage route into a quiet, evocative vision of an autumn evening.
The name Seba literally means “washing horse” and is traditionally associated with a legend. Minamoto no Yoshinaka (1154-1184)'s retainer washed his master’s horse in the nearby waters, whereupon the wounds on the animal’s hooves were miraculously healed.
Beyond its importance as a transportation hub, Seba owes much of its enduring appeal to Hiroshige’s remarkably poetic treatment of the landscape. The trees, reeds, figures, and boats all lean toward the right, creating the impression of a breeze and lending a sense of movement to the otherwise tranquil scene (also see lot 121, Arashiyama). Above, a large full moon hangs low on the horizon. Its juxtaposition with the tall reeds recalls a classic subject in Japanese art, the Musashi Plain (see The Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession no. 67.235), which is often associated with autumn. Through these familiar visual associations, Hiroshige transforms a busy crossroads and pilgrimage route into a quiet, evocative vision of an autumn evening.