Longevity: Wo Quan (Ju, Akusen), from an untitled series of happiness, prosperity, and longevity
c. 1824
Medium
Color woodblock print; shikishiban, surimono
Dimensions
22.1 × 19.2 cm (8 3/4 × 7 9/16 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
81589
Art Historical Context
In the vibrant world of Edo-period Japan (1603–1868), Yashima Gakutei (1786?–1868), a master of Osaka's ukiyo-e tradition, created this exquisite color woodblock print around 1824. Titled *Longevity: Wo QuanJu, Akusen)*, it belongs to an untitled series celebrating happiness, prosperity, and longevity—core themes in Japanese culture drawing from Confucian ideals and folklore. The shikishiban format, a compact square of about 8¾ × 7⁹⁄₁₆ inches (22.1 × 19.2 cm), was ideal for surimono, privately commissioned luxury prints often exchanged as New Year's greetings among poetry circles. Surimono li...
About the Artist
Yashima Gakutei · 1786–1868
Yashima Gakutei (c. 1786–1868), born in Osaka as the illegitimate son of a Tokugawa shogunate samurai named Hirata, adopted the name from his mother's subsequent marriage into the Yashima clan. Little is documented about his early years beyond these familial ties, but he pursued artistic training under the esteemed ukiyo-e masters Totoya Hokkei and Katsushika Hokusai, absorbing their precision in ...