くまにき影|No Shadow in Any Nook or Corner (Kuma naki kage) くまにき影
Medium
Woodblock printed book; ink and color on paper
Dimensions
9 3/4 × 7 3/16 in. (24.8 × 18.2 cm)
Classification
Illustrated Books
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Mary and James G. Wallach Foundation Gift, 2013
Accession Number
2013.866
Art Historical Context
In the waning years of Japan's Edo period (16151868), master artist Shibata Zeshin created *No Shadow in Any Nook or Corner (Kuma naki kage) in 1867. Zeshin, renowned for his innovative lacquerware that mimicked painting and print techniques, bridged traditional crafts with ukiyo-e influences. This woodblock-printed book exemplifies the era's vibrant print culture, where affordable illustrated volumes brought art, poetry, and storytelling to everyday audiences amid rapid social change just before the Meiji Restoration. Crafted with ink and color on paper, the book's delicate 9¾ × 7⅛-inch page...
About the Artist
Shibata Zeshin 柴田是真 (Japanese) · 1807 –1891
Japanese, 1807–1891