歌川國芳画 「源氏雲浮世画合 須磨 / 玉織姫」|“‘Exile to Suma’ (Suma): Tamaori-hime,” from the series Scenes amid Genji Clouds Matched with Ukiyo-e Pictures (Genji-gumo ukiyo e-awase)
ca. 1845–61
Medium
Woodblock ōban print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paper
Dimensions
Image: 14 × 9 3/16 in. (35.6 × 23.3 cm)
Classification
Prints
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Ronin Gallery, 2018
Accession Number
2018.893.5
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of Edo-period Japan with Utagawa Kuniyoshi captivating woodblock print, *“Exile to Suma” (Suma): Tamaori-hime from his series *Scenes amid Genji Clouds Mat with Ukiyo-e* (ca. 1845–61). This ōban nishiki-e—meaning "brocade picture" for its lavish multicolored inks on paper—depicts Tamaori-hime a poignant figure from *The Tale of Genji*, the world's first novel by Murasaki Shikibu (early 11th century). In this exile scene at Suma Bay, Kuniyoshi reimagines the literary heroine amid dramatic clouds, blending classical narrative with the playful ukiyo-e ("pictures of the...
About the Artist
Utagawa Kuniyoshi · 1797–1861
Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797–1861) was born in Edo to the silk-dyer Yanagiya Kichiyemon, originally bearing the childhood name Yoshisaburō. From a young age, he assisted in his family's pattern design work, which sharpened his innate mastery of color and textile motifs that would permeate his later prints. At around twelve years old, his prodigious drawing skills drew the attention of the renowned Utag...