Pilgrimage to Myohoji in Horinouchi, Edo

Pilgrimage to Myohoji in Horinouchi, Edo by Utagawa Toyohiro is a very colorful piece, displaying red, purple, green, gold, yellow, and white in many places throughout the artwork. It features seven women, all wearing layers of kimonos with extravagant patterns and colors. There is a red, gold, and black temple behind the center woman, which represents the Myohoji temple. This temple was dedicated to Nicheren’s founder. The women are visiting the temple, paying homage to it. By the patterns and colors of the women’s kimonos, I can predict that they are of the upper classes and are higher ranked in society. The use of red and purple, which were very expensive back then, adds to the extravagance of these women as well as the many flower and scenery patterns all over their clothing.

Ashley Brascher Image from The Met collection