Girls Playing a Game with Shells
1790
Medium
Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Dimensions
9 1/8 x 14 7/8 in. (23.2 x 37.8 cm)
Classification
Prints
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Estate of Samuel Isham, 1914
Accession Number
JP1063
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the vibrant world of Edo-period Japan (1615–1868), Kitagawa Utam's *Girls Playing a Game with Shell* (1790) captures a moment of innocent joy. This woodblock print, rendered in ink and color on paper, depicts young girls engrossed in a traditional shell-matching game, surrounded by lush trees. Utamaro, a master of uki-e—the "pictures of the floating world"—excelled at portraying beautiful women and everyday scenes with graceful elegance, making art accessible to all classes through affordable prints. The medium's collaborative craft shines here: artists like Utamaro designed compositions, ...
About the Artist
Kitagawa Utamaro · 1753–1806
Kitagawa Utamaro (c. 1753-1806) was one of the most celebrated masters of ukiyo-e woodblock printing, revolutionizing the art of bijin-ga (pictures of beautiful women) during Japan's Edo period. Born Kitagawa Ichitaro, his early life remains shrouded in mystery, with conflicting accounts placing his birth in Kyoto, Osaka, Yoshiwara in Edo (modern Tokyo), or Kawagoe in Musashi Province. Under the t...