Crown on a Table, Lacquer Tray with Young Pine and Fan
19th century
Medium
Part of an album of woodblock prints (surimono); ink and color on paper
Dimensions
5 1/2 x 7 3/8 in. (14 x 18.7 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
JP2323
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the refined world of 19th-century Japan, Ryūryūkyo Shinsai crafted this enchanting surimono, or privately commissioned woodblock print, titled *Crown on a Table,quer Tray with Young Pine Fan*. Part of an intimate album, this small gem (just 5½ x 7⅜ inches) captures a still life of quiet elegance: a regal crown on a table beside a gleaming lacquer tray adorned with a sprightly young pine and an intricately patterned fan. Produced during the Edo period, surimono like this were luxurious New Year's greetings or poetic tributes, often featuring embossed details and vibrant colors for elite patr...
About the Artist
Ryūryūkyo Shinsai · 1799–1823
Ryūryūkyo Shinsai (柳々居辰斎), active from 1799 to 1823, was a prominent Japanese ukiyo-e printmaker based in Edo (modern Tokyo), renowned for his mastery of surimono—luxurious, privately commissioned woodblock prints produced for elite poetry circles and New Year's celebrations. He began his training under Tawaraya Sōri before becoming a student of the legendary Katsushika Hokusai, from whom he recei...