Large and Small Fish Swimming Among Shells and Moss at the Bottom of the Sea
ca. 1830
Medium
Woodblock print (surimono); ink and color on paper
Dimensions
8 5/8 x 7 5/8 in. (21.9 x 19.4 cm)
Classification
Prints
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1921
Accession Number
JP1248
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the tranquil depths of the sea, Ryūryūkyo Shinsai invites us to witness a mesmerizing ballet in his *Large and Small Fish Swimming Amongs and Moss at the of the Sea* (ca. 1830). This intimate woodblock print, or *surimono*, measures just 8⅝ × 7⅝ inches, capturing schools of fish gliding gracefully amid textured shells and swaying moss. Created during Japan's Edo period (16151868), it exemplifies the ukiyo-e tradition of celebrating the fleeting beauty of the natural world. *Surimono* were, privately commissioned prints, often produced for New Year's greetings or poetry gatherings, featurin...
About the Artist
Ryūryūkyo Shinsai · 1799–1823
Ryūryūkyo Shinsai (柳々居辰斎), active from 1799 to 1823, was a prominent Japanese ukiyo-e printmaker based in Edo (modern Tokyo), renowned for his mastery of surimono—luxurious, privately commissioned woodblock prints produced for elite poetry circles and New Year's celebrations. He began his training under Tawaraya Sōri before becoming a student of the legendary Katsushika Hokusai, from whom he recei...