Gihachiro Okuyama’s “あさり舟 (Clam Boats)” depicts a procession of shallow-draft wooden asari-bune boats grounded on tidal flats as fishermen stand knee-deep in water harvesting asari clams. These flat-bottomed vessels, traditionally poled and poled and rowed since the Edo period, enabled access to Japan’s rich shellfish beds at low tide. The print’s vertical format emphasizes the boats’ rhythmic alignment and the textured tidal zones - offering a clear snapshot of coastal fishery practice. 🚤🦪
- Year & Edition: Open Edition. Circa 1960-70s; seal lower left.
- Medium: Woodblock.
- Dimensions: Sheet H: 24.00 cm × W: 12.00 cm.
- Condition: Excellent; sharp, clean impression.
- Notes: Asari-bune (“clam boats”) are traditional flat-bottomed wooden craft used throughout Japan’s bays and inland seas to pole out onto tidal flats for shellfish gathering. This seasonal communal harvest sustained coastal villages for centuries, and Okuyama’s print records the timeless rhythm of boat, tide, and hand-gathering in precise detail.
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