- XIX

S-1678

stampa a colori su carta

The Benzaiten Shrine on the island of Enoshima near Kamakura was a popular place of pilgrimage from Edo. The statue of the deity was displayed once every six years. Fantastic illustration of pilgrims paying a visit to the main shrine Iwaya at Enoshima in Sagami Province to view a display of the Goddess Benzaiten. The Iwaya are caves eroded in the island by thousands of years of tides, lined with small shrines. Groups of women and girls, some dressed in matching kimono and carrying umbrellas, walk along the rocky shore, making their way to or from the entrance to the cave at right. At bottom center, a young boy clambers ashore after taking a dip in the water. At right, a few women picnic and fish on an islet. The massive rock formation dominates the composition, topped with grass and pine trees, providing an interesting and unusual viewpoint rather than focusing on the mouth of the cave itself. White-capped waves splash along the shore, and boats dot the ocean beyond, with Mt. Fuji rising in the distance at left.