Court Lady Beneath an Old Plum Tree; Two Lacquer Cabinets for the Shell-matching Game
1793
Medium
Woodblock print (surimono); ink and color on paper
Dimensions
Image: 6 5/8 x 10 in. (16.8 x 25.4 cm)
Classification
Prints
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Marjorie H. Holden Gift, 2012
Accession Number
2012.248.2
Tags
Art Historical Context
Nestled in the elegance of Edo-period Japan, *Court Lady Beneath an Old Plum; Two Lacquer Cabinets for the Shell-matching Game* (1793) is a delicate woodblock print (surimono) by Kubo Shunman. This intimate scene captures a refined court lady poised gracefully under a gnarled plum tree, with two ornate lacquer cabinets nearby—props evoking the poetic shell-matching game (*kai-awase*), a beloved pastime among the aristocracy. Rendered in vibrant inks and colors on paper (6 5/8 x 10 in.), the print's small scale invites close viewing, revealing Shunman's mastery of subtle shading and fine lines....
About the Artist
Kubo Shunman · 1757–1820
Japanese, 1757–1820