Fan, Mask of Monkey, and Hat
19th century
Medium
Color woodblock print; surimono
Dimensions
21.6 × 19.3 cm (8 9/16 × 7 5/8 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
81641
Art Historical Context
Behold the delicate charm of *Fan, of Monkey, and Hat*, a 19th-century colorblock print by Keisai Eisen, a master of the ukiyo-e tradition. This intimate surimono—measuring just 21.6 × 19.3 cm—captures everyday objects with exquisite precision, evoking the fleeting beauty of Edo-period Japan. Eisen, active in the early 1800s and influenced by his teacher Kikugawa Eizan, was renowned for his bijin-ga (images of beautiful women), but here he turns his keen eye to still-life compositions, blending whimsy and refinement. Surimono prints like this one were luxurious, privately commissioned works, ...
About the Artist
Keisai Eisen · 1790–1848
Keisai Eisen (1790–1848), born Ikeda Yoshinobu in Edo (modern Tokyo), emerged as one of the late Edo period's most prolific ukiyo-e masters. The son of the renowned calligrapher and Kanō-school painter Ikeda Shigeharu, Eisen was immersed in the arts from childhood. He apprenticed under Kanō Hakkeisai, adopting the art name "Keisai" in homage to his teacher, and later studied bijin-ga (images of be...