Index Magazine

The Armchair Traveler’s Guide to Mt. Fuji

February 2, 2021
A paper fan is held upright by thin wooden supports on a display in a gallery. The fan features a geometric depiction of a blue mountain with a white-topped peak. The space above the peak is gold. A black and red inscription is on the right side of the fan. A floral folding screen can be seen in the background.
Installation view of Suzuki Kiitsu, Mount Fuji and Mount Tsukuba, Japanese, Edo period, c. 1835–43. Folding fan; ink, color, silver, and gold on paper. Promised gift of Robert S. and Betsy G. Feinberg, TL42147.34.

Take a journey through three stunning paintings depicting Japan’s highest peak, Mt. Fuji, and learn about its significance during the Edo period (1615–1868). Graduate intern Leah Justin-Jinich will be your guide in this virtual gallery talk offered in conjunction with the special exhibition Painting Edo: Japanese Art from the Feinberg Collection. 

This video is part of our Art Talks series, in which curators, conservators, fellows, and graduate students share short, informal videos that offer an up-close look at works from our collections.  

Led by:
Leah Justin-Jinich, graduate intern at the Harvard Art Museums and Ph.D. candidate in the Department of East Asian Languages and Civilizations, Harvard University 

Works explored:
Suzuki Kiitsu, Mount Fuji and Mount Tsukuba, Japanese, Edo period, c. 1835–43. Folding fan; ink, color, silver, and gold on paper. Promised gift of Robert S. and Betsy G. Feinberg, TL42147.34.

Takada Keiho, Mount Fuji, Miho Pine Forest, and Seikenji Temple, Japanese, Edo period, 1746. Hanging scroll; ink on paper. Promised gift of Robert S. and Betsy G. Feinberg, TL41799.7.

Tani Bunchō, Mount Fuji, Japanese, Edo period, 1802. Hanging scroll; ink on paper. Promised gift of Robert S. and Betsy G. Feinberg, TL42147.36.

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