Branch with Cherry Flowers, Writing Box and Sheet of Paper for Poem Writing (Tanzaku)
Medium
Part of an album of woodblock prints (surimono); ink and color on paper
Dimensions
8 3/16 x 7 5/16 in. (20.8 x 18.6 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
JP2335
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate woodblock print, titledBranch with Cherry Flowers, Writing Box and Sheet of Paper Poem Writing (Tanzaku)*, captures a serene still life from Japan's Edo period (1615–1868). Created by an unidentified artist as part of a *surimono* albumprivately commissioned prints often exchanged among poetry enthusiasts—the image features a blooming cherry branch, a traditional writing box, and a narrow *tanzaku* strip ready for verse. Rendered in vibrant ink and color on paper, measuring just 8 3/16 x 7 5/16 inches, it exemplifies the intimate scale and exquisite detail of these luxury prints....