Archery (Sha), from the series "Informal Versions of the Six Accomplishments in the Floating World (Ukiyoe rikugei ryaku)"
c. 1773/75
Medium
Color woodblock print; chuban
Dimensions
26.1 × 19.4 cm (10 1/4 × 7 5/8 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
86910
Art Historical Context
Step into the lively world of 18th Edo Japan with *Archery (Sha)*, a charming color woodblock print by Isoda Koryusai, created around 1773–75. Part of the series *Informal Versions of the Six Accomplishments in the Floating World (Ukiyoe rikugei ryaku)*, this chuban-format work (26.1 × 19.4 cm) the playful spirit of ukiyo-e, the "pictures of the floating world" genre that celebrated urban pleasures, theater, and everyday elegance during the Edo period. The "Six Accomplishments" traditionally referred to refined gentlemanly arts—poetry, music, calligraphy, painting, chess, and archery—but Kory...