Bookstand Containing a Crystal Ball and a Piece of Cloth
19th century
Medium
Part of an album of woodblock prints (surimono); ink and color on paper
Dimensions
8 x 10 3/16 in. (20.3 x 25.9 cm)
Classification
Prints
Culture
Japan
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
JP2284
Art Historical Context
Kubo Shunman's *Bookstand Containing a Crystal and a Piece of Cloth (19th century) is a delicate gem from a Japanese album of woodblock prints known as *surimono*. These intimate, privately commissioned works—measuring just 8 x 10 3/16 inches—were created using ink and color on paper, often for New Year's celebrations or poetry circles. Shunman, a master of the ukiyo-e tradition, specialized in these luxurious prints, blending everyday objects like a bookstand, shimmering crystal ball, and draped cloth into poetic still lifes that evoke mystery and introspection. Surimono like this one stand ...
About the Artist
Kubo Shunman · 1757–1820
Japanese, 1757–1820