Against a velvety black sky full of snowflakes, the snow lying heavily on the small village of Seki blankets a tall rounded hill. In the foreground porters struggle onward through the falling snow along the Tokaido road. The stark contrast of the dark sky echoes the vast snowy silence. One can almost hear the porters’ feet crunching slowly up the path toward food, rest, and a hot bath at the end of a long, hard day.
- Titles No. 48 Seki, from the series Fifty-Three Stations of Tōkaidō (Proper)@「東海道五十三次」 「四十八」 「関」 (Proper)@Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido: Seki (number 48), from the Reisho series (Former title)
- Artist Ando Hiroshige, Japanese, 1797 - 1858@Published by, Marusei, Japan
- Medium ink and color on paper
- Dimensions 9 1/2 x 14 1/2 in. (24.1 x 36.8 cm)
- Credit Line Gift of Dr. Roy T. Ward, 1995.92
- Work Type woodblock print
- Classification Prints
- Signature Recto, printed, left: Hiroshige paints (廣重画, Hiroshige ga)
- Marks Recto, seals of censor, left of red cartouche: Mera, Watanabe (米良、渡邊) Recto, seal of publisher, lower right outside image: Shiba shinmeimae / marusei-han (芝神明前 / 丸清板)
- Inscription Recto, printed in red cartouche, top right: Fifty-Three Stations of Tōkaidō (東海道 四十八, Tōkaidō Yonjū-hachi) Recto, printed, left of censors' seals: Fifty-Three / Seki (五十三次 / 関, gojūsan tsugi / Seki)