Lobster and Shells
Kubota Shunman
ca. 1800 - ca. 1805
Medium
nishikie, with blindprinting
Dimensions
138; 198
About this artwork
height 138 mm x width 198 mm
Art Historical Context
Kubota Shunman (0–1844), a versatile ukiyo-e master of Japan's Edo period, crafted *Lobster and Shells around 1800–1805. This intimate print captures the delicate textures of marine life—a lobster amid shells—in a style blending realism with poetic elegance. Shunman's work often celebrated nature's fleeting beauty, reflecting the ukiyo-e tradition of "pictures of the floating world," where everyday wonders like seafood evoked seasonal abundance and impermanence. Printed in *nishikie* (brocade print), a multicolored woodblock technique that brought vibrant hues to life through precise layering...