Shoulder Pole Collection

Costumes de Différents Pays, Traiteur Chinois Ambulant, c1797. Creators: Jacques Grasset de Saint-Sauveur, LF Labrousse
Costumes de Differents Pays, Traiteur Chinois Ambulant, c1797

Costumes de Différents Pays, Marchande d'Auss et Marchands de Poissons Salés a Peters... c1797
Costumes de Differents Pays, Marchande d'Auss et Marchands de Poissons Sales a Petersbourg en Russie, c1797

Vessantara Jataka, Chapter 9 (Maddi), c1920-1940. Creator: Unknown
Vessantara Jataka, Chapter 9 (Maddi), c1920-1940. Collecting food in the forest is one of Maddi's daily activities during the family's exile

Act Eight: Journey, Published in 1854. Creator: Utagawa Kuniyoshi
Act Eight: Journey, Published in 1854. From Chushingura Written in Kana

The Flower Vendor, c1720s. Creator: Nishimura Shigenobu
The Flower Vendor, c1720s

Noda no Tamagawa, c1787. Creator: Kubo Shunman
Noda no Tamagawa, c1787. From The Six Tama Rivers, c. 1787

Niwaka Performance (image 2 of 2), c1795. Creator: Kitagawa Utamaro
Niwaka Performance (image 2 of 2), c1795

Niwaka Performance (image 1 of 2), c1795. Creator: Kitagawa Utamaro
Niwaka Performance (image 1 of 2), c1795

Costumes de Différents Pays, Paysans et Paysannes Anglais, c1797. Creators: Jacques Grasset de Saint-Sauveur
Costumes de Differents Pays, Paysans et Paysannes Anglais, c1797

Costumes de Différents Pays, Marchand de Viandesà Naplea, c1797. Creators: Jacques Grasset de Saint-Sauveur
Costumes de Differents Pays, Marchand de Viandesa Naplea, c1797

Umeyashiki, c1802. Creator: Hokusai
Umeyashiki, c1802. From Famous Views of the Eastern Capital

Costumes de Différents Pays, Femme d'Ulieteal, c1797. Creators: Jacques Grasset de Saint-Sauveur, LF Labrousse
Costumes de Differents Pays, Femme d'Ulieteal, c1797

The Story of Minamoto Tametomo, between circa 1805 and circa 1810. Creator: Hokusai
The Story of Minamoto Tametomo, between circa 1805 and circa 1810

Costumes de Différents Pays, Negre du Royaume d'Ardra, c1797. Creators: Jacques Grasset de Saint-Sauveur
Costumes de Differents Pays, Negre du Royaume d'Ardra, c1797

Grazing Cow, 1783. Creator: Jacob Cats
Grazing Cow, 1783

Milkmaid, End of 19th cen.. Creator: Dupré, Julien (1851-1910)
Milkmaid, End of 19th. Found in the collection of the Musee des Beaux-Arts, Reims

Album, 1661. Creator: Bin Xie
Album, 1661

La Bouquetière. Creator: Jean Baptiste Marie Huet
La Bouquetiere

Poem by Dainagon Tsunenobu, from the series "One Hundred Poems Explained by the... c. 1835/36. Creator: Hokusai
Poem by Dainagon Tsunenobu, from the series "One Hundred Poems Explained by the Nurse (Hyakunin isshu uba ga etoki)", Japan, c. 1835/36

Empress Jito (Jito Tenno) from the series "One Hundred Poems as Explained by the... c. 1835. Creator: Hokusai
Empress Jito (Jito Tenno) from the series "One Hundred Poems as Explained by the Wet Nurse (Hyakunin isshu uba ga etoki)", Japan, c. 1835

Ne: Brine Carriers, from the series "Tales of Ise in Fashionable Brocade Pictures.. c. 1772/73. Creator: Shunsho
Ne: Brine Carriers, from the series "Tales of Ise in Fashionable Brocade Pictures (Furyu nishiki-e Ise monogatari)", Japan, c. 1772/73

The Actor Segawa Kitsuji III as Murasame in the Play Gohiiki Kanjincho, Performed... c. 1773. Creator: Shunsho
The Actor Segawa Kitsuji III as Murasame in the Play Gohiiki Kanjincho, Performed at the Nakamura Theater in the Eleventh Month, 1773, Japan, c. 1773

The Actor Segawa Kitsuji III as Murasame in the Play Gohiiki Kanjincho, Performed... c. 1773. Creator: Shunsho
The Actor Segawa Kitsuji III as Murasame in the Play Gohiiki Kanjincho, Performed at the Nakamura Theater in the Eleventh Month, 1773, Japan, c. 1773

Nihon Bridge: Morning Scene (Nihonbashi, asa no kei), from the series "Fifty-three... c. 1833/34
Nihon Bridge: Morning Scene (Nihonbashi, asa no kei), from the series "Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido Road (Tokaido gojusan tsugi no uchi), " also known as the Hoeido Tokaido, c

The Actors Ichimura Uzaemon IX as a Male Fox Disguised as the Sake Seller Iseya (left)... c. 1777. Creator: Shunsho
The Actors Ichimura Uzaemon IX as a Male Fox Disguised as the Sake Seller Iseya (left) and Nakamura Tomijuro I as a Female Fox Disguised as the Beancake Peddler Hyugaya

The Actor Nakamura Nakazo I as Nagasaki Kageyuzaemon Disguised as Gorohachi the Sake Se... c. 1776. Creator: Shunsho
The Actor Nakamura Nakazo I as Nagasaki Kageyuzaemon Disguised as Gorohachi the Sake Seller, in the Play Hikitsurete Yagoe Taiheiki, Performed at the Morita Theater in the Eleventh Month, 1776

Summer, from The Four Seasons, 1601. Creator: Jan Saenredam
Summer, from The Four Seasons, 1601

Album of 27 prints from the series "Pairings of Actors with the Fifty-three Stations... 1839
Album of 27 prints from the series "Pairings of Actors with the Fifty-three Stations (Mitate yakusha gojusan tsui no uchi)", 1839

View of Surugacho (Surugacho no zu), from the series "Famous Places in the Eastern...c. 1832/38
View of Surugacho (Surugacho no zu), from the series "Famous Places in the Eastern Capital (Toto meisho)", c. 1832/38

The Brine Maidens of Suma, from the series "A Brocade of Eastern Manners...", c. 1783/84
The Brine Maidens of Suma, from the series "A Brocade of Eastern Manners (Fuzoku Azuma no nishiki)", c. 1783/84

Summer: Planting Rice (Natsu: taue no zu), No. 2 from the series "The Four Seasons of... c. 1730s
Summer: Planting Rice (Natsu: taue no zu), No. 2 from the series "The Four Seasons of Farmers (Shiki no hyakusho)", c. 1730s

March, August 20, 1793. Creator: Francesco Bartolozzi
March, August 20, 1793

Great Russians. (Voronezh Governorate), 1862. Creator: Sergei Pavlovich Pavlov
Great Russians. (Voronezh Governorate). 1862. Sheet 4 from the album "Description ethnographique des peuples de la Russie", volume 1

View of Manila, Capital of Luzon Island, Philippine Islands, 19th century. One of 65 lithographs that were included in the volume of maps published after the round-the-world voyage of the corvette

Hong Kong-China-Porter-Daily Life
A Hong Kong weight-bearing crosses Hong Kong street carrying two baskets in the 1960 s. AFP PHOTO GEORGES BENDRIHEM / AFP PHOTO / GEORGES BENDRIHEM

Akasaka, Fujikawa, Okazaki, Chiryu, and Narumi, from the series "Famous Places on... c. 1830 / 35
Akasaka, Fujikawa, Okazaki, Chiryu, and Narumi, from the series " Famous Places on the Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido, Five Stations (Tokaido gojusan eki goshuku meisho)", c. 1830/35

The Actor Segawa Kikunojo I as Mizue Gozen in the play "Suehiro Izu Nikki, "performed... c. 1745
The Actor Segawa Kikunojo I as Mizue Gozen in the play " Suehiro Izu Nikki, " performed at the Nakamura Theater in the eleventh month, 1745 (?), c. 1745

The Actors Ichimura Kamezo I as Sengokuya Ihei and Sanogawa Ichimatsu I as his wife Omatsu... 1755
The Actors Ichimura Kamezo I as Sengokuya Ihei and Sanogawa Ichimatsu I as his wife Omatsu in the play " Kashiwa ga Toge Kichirei no Sumo

River-View in China, c1891. Creator: James Grant
River-View in China, c1891. From " Cassells Illustrated History of India Vol. II.", by James Grant. [Cassell Petter & Galpin, London, Paris and New York]

Ishibei, from the series "Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido (Tokaido gojusan tsugi)
Ishibei, from the series " Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido (Tokaido gojusan tsugi)", Japan, c. 1806

Kambara, from the series "Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido (Tokaido gojusan tsugi)
Kambara, from the series " Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido (Tokaido gojusan tsugi)", Japan, c. 1806

Minakuchi, from the series "Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido (Tokaido gojusan)
Minakuchi, from the series " Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido (Tokaido gojusan tsugi)", Japan, c. 1806

Goyu, from the series "Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido (Tokaido gojusan tsugi)
Goyu, from the series " Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido (Tokaido gojusan tsugi)", Japan, c. 1806

The Brine Maiden, Japan, 1830. Creator: Hokusai
The Brine Maiden, Japan, 1830

Shrine Maidens Onami and Ohatsu Dancing at Yushima Tenjin Shrine, c. 1769

A Flower Vendor, 1751 / 64. Creator: Suzuki Harunobu
A Flower Vendor, 1751/64

A water vendor, 1765. Creator: Suzuki Harunobu
A water vendor, 1765

Tahitian Carrying Bananas, from the Suite of Late Wood-Block Prints, 1898 / 99
Tahitian Carrying Bananas, from the Suite of Late Wood-Block Prints, 1898/99

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"Shoulder Pole: A Symbol of Daily Life and Tradition in Hong Kong-China" In the bustling streets of Hong Kong-China, a timeless tradition known as the shoulder pole has been an integral part of daily life for centuries. This unique method of transportation, depicted in various artworks such as Utagawa Kuniyoshi's series "Famous Places on. . C. 1830/35, " showcases the resilience and strength of the local porters. Dating back to ancient times, these skilled individuals would carry heavy loads suspended from bamboo poles balanced across their shoulders. As seen in Torii Kiyomasu's portrayal of Mizue Gozen performed around 1745, or Torii Kiyohiro's depiction of Sengokuya Ihei and his wife Omatsu in 1755, this practice was not limited to Hong Kong but also prevalent throughout Japan. The shoulder pole served as a vital means for transporting goods across cities like Akasaka, Fujikawa, Okazaki, Chiryu, and Narumi along the famous Tokaido route during the Edo period. Artists like Hokusai beautifully captured scenes such as Ishibei or Kambara from his series "Fifty-three Stations of the Tokaido (Tokaido gojusan tsugi)" around 1830-35. This mode of transportation even found its way into James Grant's artwork depicting a River-View in China circa 1891. The shoulder pole became synonymous with hard work and dedication among both locals and visitors alike. Beyond its practicality, this cultural symbol is deeply rooted in traditional ceremonies too. Shrine Maidens Onami and Ohatsu can be seen gracefully dancing at Yushima Tenjin Shrine around 1769 while Suzuki Harunobu captures a Flower Vendor selling her vibrant blooms between 1751-64. The shoulder pole represents more than just physical labor; it embodies a connection to history, resilience, and the unyielding spirit of the people.