Biwa (Japanese Lute) with Cover
19th century
Medium
Woodblock print (surimono); ink and color on paper
Dimensions
8 x 7 3/16 in. (20.3 x 18.3 cm)
Classification
Prints
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
H. O. Havemeyer Collection, Bequest of Mrs. H. O. Havemeyer, 1929
Accession Number
JP1983
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite woodblock print, *Biwa (Japanese Lute) with Cover*, crafted by Kubo Shunman the 19th century Japan's Edo period (1615–1868), captures the refined elegance of a traditional biwa—a four-stringed lute central to Japanese musical storytelling. Shunman, a versatile ukiyo-e artist for his poetic imagery and mastery of surimono, created this intimate work (just 8 x 7 3/16 inches) as a privately commissioned print, often exchanged among literati during New Year's celebrations. Surimono, meaning "printed things," elevated woodblock printing to an art form rivaling painting, using vibran...
About the Artist
Kubo Shunman · 1757–1820
Japanese, 1757–1820