Dawn in the Esivara Quarter by Utagawa Hiroshige

Dawn in the Esivara Quarter by Utagawa Hiroshige

The quarter where the brothels were located, was founded in 1617 and was called Esivara, which literally means “Cane Field”. But soon the original hieroglyphs were replaced with exactly the same sounding “Merry Field”. He was surrounded by a moat with water and surrounded by a tall wooden fence. The legendary fire of 1657 destroyed all the settlements near Nihonbashi, and the Esivara quarter was moved to a new place – in Asakusa.

The area of the new accommodation of entertainment facilities became known as “Sin Yesivara”. By the time of the creation of the series, Esivara was considered the most expensive and interesting quarter of Japan. The central avenue was called Nakanote, and he depicted Hiroshige, choosing a pre-dawn hour for his engraving, when the guests left for the night left Esivara, as prescribed by the rules. The lanterns are still burning, but the sky is already brightening. Courtesans, accompanied by maids, escort guests to the gates of Omon – these are the main gate of the quarter, which were locked at night.

In the foreground in the twilight are the flowering sakura trees. The color of the late version of the engraving is somewhat different from the earlier one. A little brighter than the glare of the purple rising sun, the wider band of the pre-shining sky is more distinct than its contrast with the night sky, black.

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