Lacquer Box, Fan, and Okina Mask
19th century
Medium
Color woodblock print; surimono
Dimensions
21 × 18.2 cm (8 5/16 × 7 3/16 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
81609
Art Historical Context
Totoya Hokkei's *Lacquer Box, Fan, and Okina Mask* a exquisite 19th-century color woodblock print from Japan, exemplifying the refined art of *surimono*. These privately commissioned prints, often created as New Year's greetings or poetic invitations for elite circles, stand out for their luxurious production. Hokkei, a pupil of the master Katsushika Hokusai, mastered this intimate format, blending ukiyo-e realism with poetic elegance in works measuring just 21 × 18.2 cm. The composition showcases a still life of treasured objects: a gleaming lacquer box, an intricately painted fan, and the v...
About the Artist
Totoya Hokkei · 1780–1850
Totoya Hokkei (魚屋 北渓, 1780–1850), born Iwakubo Tatsuyuki in Edo (modern Tokyo), began his life as a humble fishmonger in the Yotsuya Samegahashi district, a trade reflected in his art name "Totoya," meaning fish shop. He transitioned to art through rigorous training, first studying under Kanō Yōsen'in Korenobu, head of the Kobikichō branch of the prestigious Kanō school, where he honed landscape p...