Girl In the Form of a Divinity Beating a Drum
19th century
Medium
Woodblock print (surimono); ink and color on paper
Dimensions
8 1/16 x 7 3/16 in. (20.5 x 18.3 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
JP2010
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the enchanting world of Edo-period Japan (1615–1868), Kubo Shunman’s *Girl in the Form of Divinity Beating a Drum captures a whimsical fusion of the divine and the playful. Created in the early 19th century, intimate woodblock print (surono) depicts a young transformed into a celestial figure, energetically drumming with vibrant energy. Shunman, a master of ukiyo-e—a "floating world" style celebrating everyday beauty and fantasy—was renowned for his poetic surimono, luxurious privately commissioned prints often exchanged as New Year’s greetings among literati. Measuring just 8 1/16 x 7 3/1...
About the Artist
Kubo Shunman · 1757–1820
Japanese, 1757–1820