Picture Book of Kyōka Poems: Mountains upon Mountains (Ehon kyōka yama mata yama) 画本狂歌山満多山
1804 (Kyōwa 4)
Medium
Woodblock printed book; ink and color on paper
Dimensions
10 7/16 × 6 7/8 in. (26.5 × 17.5 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 Family Foundation Gift, in honor of John T. Carpenter, 2013
Accession Number
2013.714
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the whimsical world of Katsushika Hokusai's *Picture Book of Kyō Poems: Mountains upon Mountains*Ehon kyōka yama mata yama), in 1804 during Japan's vibrant Edo period (1615–1868). This woodblock-printed book, measuring a compact 10 7/16 × 6 7/8 inches, showcases Hokusai's early mastery in ukiyo-e—the "pictures of the floating world" style that captured everyday life with bold lines, vivid colors, and playful humor. At just 44 years old, Hokusai was already experimenting with innovative compositions, blending intricate illustrations of men and women with kyōka, satirical poems that po...
About the Artist
Katsushika Hokusai 葛飾北斎 (Japanese) · 1760 –1849
Japanese, Tokyo (Edo) 1760–1849 Tokyo (Edo)