Goldfish Firefighters?! The Edo Heroes of Water and Flame

Part of Kuniyoshi’s Goldfish · Episode 4

Goldfish march with plant-stem banners in an extraordinary print by Utagawa Kuniyoshi. Their determined expressions echo Edo’s town firefighters, the machibikeshi, whose banners signalled identity and courage in a city threatened by fire. Why did an artist turn a respected urban profession into a procession of fish? Explore the history and humour carried by this unlikely brigade.