Plum blossoms and poet, from an untitled hexaptych depicting a pair of folding screens
c. 1825
Medium
Color woodblock print; sheet from shikishiban hexaptych, surimono
Dimensions
21.1 × 18.8 cm (8 5/16 × 7 7/16 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
81330
Art Historical Context
This delicate color woodblock print by Ryuryukyo Shinsai, created around 1825, forms one sheet of a hexaptych designed to evoke a pair of folding screens. Measuring just over eight inches square, the surimono—a privately commissioned print often produced for poetry circles—combines refined imagery with literary elegance. Shinsai’s work captures the quiet beauty of plum blossoms alongside a contemplative poet, inviting viewers to appreciate the seasonal symbolism of renewal and resilience that these flowers hold in Japanese culture. Surimono prints like this one were prized for their luxurious...