-No.43- Kuwana- 1847 - 1852

This woodblock print, -No.43- Kuwana- was created by Utagawa Hiroshige in 1833. Here, the large sail of the boat dominates the scene, acting as a symbol of passage and transition. Throughout art history, boats are not merely vessels of transport; they are potent symbols of life’s journey, carrying souls across the waters of existence. In ancient Egyptian art, funerary boats transported the deceased to the afterlife. The motif reappears in Greek mythology with Charon ferrying souls across the river Styx. The boat, therefore, carries the weight of collective memory, tapping into our subconscious understanding of life's transient nature, engaging viewers on a deep, psychological level. Hiroshige’s boat is not just moving from one place to another but navigating the currents of time and memory. Notice the cyclical progression of this symbol, how it resurfaces, evolves, and takes on new meanings in different historical contexts.