 |
| Hiroshige II: Iwatake gathering at Kumano in Kishu - approx. 1860 |
Iwatake is a delicacy in Japan. Its name in Latin is Umbilicaria esculenta. In East Asia it is used as food, and in Traditional Chinese Medicine, TCM, as a medicine. Called iwatake in Japan, it is called shi'er in China, and seogi in Korea. Iwatake means "rock mushroom".
To harvest it, collectors are lowered down a cliff, preferably in wet weather. This is very dangerous. There is a saying in Japan: "Never give lodging to an iwatake collector, he doesn't always survive to pay the rent." Otherwise the iwatake has a reputation of providing longevity.
This woodblock print by Utagawa Hiroshige II (1826-1868), a student of the great Hiroshige, shows iwatake collectors in action. Its title is "Kishū kumano iwatake tori (Iwatake gathering at Kumano in Kishu)", and it dates around 1860.