Kyoka Kijin Gazo-shu|Poems on Portraits of the Famous and the Infamous
19th century
Medium
Polychrome Woodblock printed book; gold lacquer on red lacquer ground
Dimensions
8 1/4 × 5 3/4 × 1/2 in. (21 × 14.6 × 1.3 cm)
Classification
Illustrated Books
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Howard Mansfield Collection, Gift of Howard Mansfield, 1936
Accession Number
JIB94
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite illustrated book, titled *Kyoka Kijin Gazo-shu* (Poems on Portraits of the Famous and the Infamous), dates to Japan’s Edo period (1615–1868), when woodblock printing flourished as a vibrant medium for literature and popular culture. Created through a collaboration involving artists such as Utagawa Kunisada and Utagawa Hiroshige alongside Ryūsen, the volume pairs witty *kyoka*—humorous, often satirical poems—with portraits of notable and notorious figures. These lighthearted verses offered social commentary while entertaining a growing urban audience eager for accessible art and ...