This furoshiki (wrapping cloth) is square in shape and features a village scene design on half of the surface, divided diagonally. The other half is a solid forest green color. The village scene appears to be from the Fifty-three Stations of the Tōkaidō print series made by Utagawa Hiroshige (1797-1858), one of the premier printmakers of the Edo period (1600-1868). The series, one of his most famous, illustrates the 53 checkpoints that line the Tōkaidō, the main road that ran between Edo (now Tokyo) and Kyoto, then the capital city. Some of the stations are at well-known regions, which have great significance in Japanese history. This particular scene features three thatched-roof huts, one of which is a market stall at which people are doing business; a train of three ox-driven cards carries piles of either straw or grain, led by two men in blue; a square well that lies in front of the market; a blue sky; and an inscription that likely contains the name of the series, the artist, and the specific station along the Tōkaidō.
