Bridge,Willow Tree, and Waterwheel

A bridge, sparkling with gold, stretches across the entire work. The extravagant design—including elements such as the expression of flowing water with silver and a waterwheel along the riverside with gold—are captivating. From right to left, willows indicate the changing seasons: a spring willow budding with new greenery transitions into a summer willow with a dense growth of leaves. Works such as this are considered to depict the scenery of Uji River in Kyoto, which is famous for its waterwheels. Prior examples can be seen in depictions of the Uji Bridge from the Muromachi period (14th-16th centuries). Currently, several examples are known of items of the same type. Some of these bear the seal of Hasegawa Tôhaku, and this motif is considered to be a specialty of the Hasegawa school.