Impromptu Shadow Series (Sokkyō Kageboshi-zukushi)
Painted by Utagawa Hiroshige I Tokyo Shiryō Collection 5869-C2

This is a kage-e (shadow picture), a type of omocha-e (toy picture), which was painted by Utagawa Hiroshige I, the famous artist for prints depicting famous spots. People in the Edo period enjoyed Kageboshi, in which people showed shapes of a wild goose or a cat by casting shadows on shōji doors using the hands, feet, or small gadgets.


Print