Hawker of Love Letters
19th century
Medium
Part of an album of woodblock prints (surimono); ink and color on paper
Dimensions
8 1/8 x 5 7/16 in. (20.6 x 13.8 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
JP2241
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of Edo-period Japan with *Hawker of Love Letters*, delicate woodblock print by Kubo Shunman from the 19th century This intimate scene, part of a surimono album, a street vendor peddling love letters amid figures of men and women,oking the playful romance and everyday poetry of urban life in Tokyo (then Edo). At just 8 1/8 x 5 7/16 inches, its small scale invites close viewing, revealing Shunman's mastery in blending narrative charm with subtle social observation. Surimono, meaning "printed things," were luxurious, privately commissioned woodblock prints often produ...
About the Artist
Kubo Shunman · 1757–1820
Japanese, 1757–1820