Saikô-ji on Mount Muryô, No. 16 of the Chichibu Pilgrimage Route (Chichibu junrei jûrokuban Muryôzan Saikô-ji), from the series Miracles of Kannon (Kannon reigenki)

「観音霊験記　秩父巡礼　十六番　無量山（むりょうさん）　西光寺（さいこうじ）」

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

Japanese

Edo period

1859 (Ansei 6), 4th 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 Number11.42633

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), #12

DescriptionMFA impressions: 00.1150, 11.42633

The story of the nun Enbiku.
圓比丘

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

Marks Censor's seal: Goat 4 aratame
Blockcutter's mark: Hori Take
改印：未四改
彫師：彫竹

Inscriptions秩父順礼第十六番　無量山西光寺

さいくわうじちかひを人に尋ぬれは
　ついのすみかハ西とこそきけ

奉額　我人の身もや寿し世は啼ぬ蝉

圓比丘

当寺の住僧圓比丘一夜月を感じていたりしに／ふしぎなるかなあたりの草むらより幽然と老婆の／姿あらハれ出て我ハ古へ優婆夷なりしが貪欲甚重の／報によつて阿鼻獄に堕しそれよりさまざまに生かハり／死かハれどもその業いまだ尽ず吾子孫にしかじか／の者あれバこれを彼等に告て吾菩提を／吊ハせ給へ又当寺へやがて霊験あらたなる／観音の像をみちびけバ何卒その／像にむかひて吾冥福をいのり悪／趣を転じて楽国におもむかしめ／よといひ終りて其侭姿は失ぬ／圓比丘称名念仏して子孫の者へもつげ／て吊ひけるに果して遠からずに他方より／観音の霊像来りたるハかの幽魂の／みちびきし者ならん今の本尊則是なり

万亭応賀誌

＊（二代広重画）（二代国貞画）（横川彫竹）＊安政六年未四月（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.