Anonymous (19th century)

Taijiura bay located in Kumano, Kishu province is famous for the Japanese traditional whaling since 17th century. This unique painting shows whales, whaling boats and tools used in the Japan whale business in the nineteenth century. Few examples in this detail are known.
The renowned print artist from the same period, Utagawa Hiroshige II (1826-1869) also worked on the same subject in one of his works Hizen Goto geiryo no zu (View of a Whale Hunt at Goto, Hizen Province) from the series Shokoku meisho hyakkei (One Hundred Famous Views in the Various Provinces)