Portrait of Kinokuniya Bunzaemon
early 1800s
Medium
hanging scroll; ink and color on silk
Dimensions
136.6 × 31.5 cm · within painted borders: 89 × 27.3 cm
Classification
Painting
Department
Japanese Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
The Kelvin Smith Collection, given by Mrs. Kelvin Smith
Accession Number
1985.276
Tags
About this artwork
Kinokuniya Bunzaemon was one of Edo’s first millionaire merchants. He made his fortune selling lumber, a lucrative and expanding business in Edo that was often ravaged by fire. Well known for his extravagance, he entertained lavishly and was a generous patron of the theater. He was said once to have set gold and lacquer cups afloat on the Sumida River to amuse people downstream. This painting may be an imaginary portrait, as Kinokuniya Bunzaemon died in 1734—35 years before the artist Toyokuni w...