Portal:History of science/Picture
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Fuji at Torigoe" is the eightieth woodblock print from One Hundred Views of Mt. Fuji by the Japanese ukiyo-e artist Hokusai. It depicts the observatory of the Calendar Bureau during the Edo period, with astronomers working on the roof, Mt. Fuji in the background. The astronomical device, however, is not an observational instrument; it is an orrery. Judging by the outdoor location for the instrument and the fact that it is missing essential components, it is likely that Hokusai produced this design based on another illustration. According to Hokusai scholar Henry D. Smith II, the orrery is best seen as an indication of Hokusai's interest in Western science rather than a representation of Japanese astronomical practice.
