Potted Plant and Almanac
1817
Medium
nishikie
Dimensions
190; 174
About this artwork
Legaat van J.A. Bierens de Haan, Amsterdam
Art Historical Context
**Potted Plant and Almanac** (1817) by Totoya Hokkei invites visitors into the refined world of late Edo-period Japan. Hokkei (1791–1841), a skilled ukiyo-e artist pupil of the master Katsushika Hokusai, specialized in intimate, poetic prints that captured everyday beauty. Created during a time when woodblock printing flourished in urban centers like Edo (modern Tokyo), this small-scale work—measuring just 190mm high by 174mm wide—exemplifies the artist's talent for transforming humble subjects like a potted plant and almanac into harmonious compositions, evoking seasonal tranquility and the r...
About the Artist
Totoya Hokkei · 1780–1850
Totoya Hokkei (魚屋 北渓, 1780–1850), born Iwakubo Tatsuyuki in Edo (modern Tokyo), began his life as a humble fishmonger in the Yotsuya Samegahashi district, a trade reflected in his art name "Totoya," meaning fish shop. He transitioned to art through rigorous training, first studying under Kanō Yōsen'in Korenobu, head of the Kobikichō branch of the prestigious Kanō school, where he honed landscape p...