Nozaka-dera on Mount Butsudô, No. 12 of the Chichibu Pilgrimage Route (Chichibu junrei jûniban Butsudôzan Nozaka-dera), from the series Miracles of Kannon (Kannon reigenki)

「観音霊験記　秩父巡礼　十二番　佛道山　（ぶつどうさん）　野坂寺　（のさかでら）」

Utagawa Kunisada II (Kunimasa III, Toyokuni IV) (Japanese, 1823–1880)
Utagawa Hiroshige II (Shigenobu) (Japanese, 1826–1869)
Publisher: Yamadaya Shôjirô (Japanese)

Japanese

Edo period

1859 (Ansei 6), 5th month

Medium/Technique Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper

Dimensions Vertical ôban; 34.8 x 24.3 cm (13 11/16 x 9 9/16 in.)

Credit Line William Sturgis Bigelow Collection

Accession Number11.42629

NOT ON VIEW

CollectionsAsia, Prints and Drawings

ClassificationsPrints

Catalogue Raisonné C's Ukiyo-e Museum, http://homepage2.nifty.com/ukiyo-e/index.html; Shibuya Kuritsu Shôtô Bijutsukan, Ukiyoeshitachi no shinbutsu (1999), #10

DescriptionThe story of the merchant of Kai Province (Kai no akindo).
甲斐の商人

Signed Kunisada ga, in toshidama cartouche (below); Hiroshige (above)
国貞画(年玉枠)、広重

Marks Censor's seal: Goat 5 aratame
No blockcutter's mark
改印：未五改
彫師：なし

Inscriptions秩父順礼第十二番　仏道山野坂寺

老の身にくるしきものは野坂寺
　今おもひしれのちの世のみち

奉額　道とへば蝶の先たつ野もせかな

甲斐の商人

往昔甲斐の／国の商人／某／といふ／者この／所を／通路し／ける時山賊／とも五六人立／出て着類を剥し／うへ後の禍なからん為に／引捕らへて切殺さんとし／けるゆへ商人ハ迚も叶ハぬ命と／唯一信に南無観世音と唱へしかバ／肌の守のうちより光明電のごとく／輝きければ山賊ども眼を射られて／開くことあたハず是によつて立所に盗ミ／取たるものを返して侘言しけれバ眼の／ひらきけるゆへ三四人ハ逃去しが頭人ハ／仏罰に恐れてたゞちに遯世して茲に住ける／うちかの商人古郷より／聖徳太子の作り玉ふ／観音の像を持／来れバ／共に力を／合せて当／所に堂を建り／今の本尊ハ／則これなり

万亭応賀誌

＊（二代広重画）（二代国貞画）＊安政六年未五月（1859）

ProvenanceBy 1911, purchased by William Sturgis Bigelow (b. 1850–d. 1926), Boston [see note 1]; 1911, gift of Bigelow to the MFA. (Accession Date: January 19, 2005)

NOTES:
[1] Much of Bigelow's collection of Asian art was formed during his residence in Japan between 1882 and 1889, although he also made acquisitions in Europe and the United States. Bigelow deposited many of these objects at the MFA in 1890 before donating them to the Museum's collection at later dates.