Bowl, scissors, and morning glories
c. 1820
Medium
Color woodblock print; shikishiban, surimono
Dimensions
22 × 20.6 cm (8 11/16 × 8 1/8 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
81583
Art Historical Context
Yashima Gakutei's *Bowl, Scissors, and Morning Glories*c. 1820) is a captivating example of Japanese surimono, a deluxe genre of color woodblock print produced privately for poetry circles, New Year's greetings, or special occasions. Rendered in the intimate shikishiban formatmeasuring just 22 × 20.6 cm—this square composition exemplifies the refined artistry of the late Edo period (1603–1868). Gakutei, a ukiyo-e master known for his precise lines and subtle color harmonies, often blended poetry with visual elegance, making surimono like this one prized collector's items. The print's still-li...
About the Artist
Yashima Gakutei · 1786–1868
Yashima Gakutei (c. 1786–1868), born in Osaka as the illegitimate son of a Tokugawa shogunate samurai named Hirata, adopted the name from his mother's subsequent marriage into the Yashima clan. Little is documented about his early years beyond these familial ties, but he pursued artistic training under the esteemed ukiyo-e masters Totoya Hokkei and Katsushika Hokusai, absorbing their precision in ...