Lacquer Paintings of Various Subjects: Bonsai
1882
Medium
Lacquer on paper
Dimensions
7 1/2 x 6 1/2 in. (19.1 x 16.5 cm)
Classification
Paintings
Culture & Period
Japan · Meiji period (1868–1912)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Howard Mansfield Collection, Purchase, Rogers Fund, 1936
Accession Number
36.100.102
Tags
Art Historical Context
Created in 1882 during’s Meiji period, Shibata Zeshin’s *Bonsai* belongs to a series titled *Lacquer Paintings of Various Subjects*. Zeshin (1807–1891), celebrated for revitalizing the ancient craft of urushi, applied layers of lacquer directly onto paper rather than the more common wood or metal supports. This delicate 7½-by-6½-inch work demonstrates his technical daring: the slow-drying medium allowed him to achieve subtle gradations of tone and texture usually associated with ink painting or watercolor. The subject—a carefully pruned bonsai—embodies enduring Japanese aesthetic values of ha...
About the Artist
Shibata Zeshin · 1807–1891
Japanese, 1807–1891