2010.10.1
Monkey Bridge
Artist
Un-ichi Hiratsuka (Un'ichi Hiratsuka)
(Matsue, Shimane Prefecture, 1895 - 11/18/1997, Tokyo, Japan)
Title
Monkey Bridge
Creation Date
1956
Century
mid-20th century
Dimensions
19 3/8 in. x 26 3/16 in. (49.21 cm x 66.52 cm)
Object Type
print
Creation Place
Asia, Japan
Medium and Support
woodblock on paper
Credit Line
Gift of D. Lee Rich, P’78 ‘80 and John Hubbard Rich, Jr. Class of 1939 Litt.D. 1974, P’78 ‘80
Copyright
This artwork may be under copyright. For further information, please consult the Museum’s
Copyright Terms and Conditions.
Accession Number
2010.10.1
While many prints depict the famous Monkey Bridge from a distance, Hiratsuka reveals the clever cantilevered design of the bridge's underside close-up. Inspired by the image of monkeys holding hands to cross the river, the wooden Monkey Bridge is a 1,300-year-old architectural feat that spans two high cliffs flanking the Katsura River in Yamanashi prefecture in central Japan. Monkey Bridge displays Hiratsuka's well-known style—powerful, jagged lines—that suggests the revered landmark’s strength. Hiratsuka preferred black and white, which he argued were more beautiful than colors, and appreciated both their bold contrast and the solitary strength of black ink. Evident in this print is Hiratsuka’s technique of tsuki-bori (literally called “poking carving”), which employed a square-tip tool rocked from side to side to create a jagged line.
