Rabbit and Fish
Shikô Shikô
spring 1855
Medium
Color woodblock print; surimono
Dimensions
25.5 × 18.6 cm (10 1/16 × 7 3/8 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
43271
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
This print was made in the year of the rabbit, and the animal has a minor role on the print surface: as a part of the decoration on the packaging of a child’s fishing game. The fishing game came in a simple package printed with a pattern of waves. The title on the package reads Haru no umi, literally the “Ocean of Spring,” or, in this context, “New Year’s Ocean.” The object of the game was to hook the large red sea bream, a traditional New Year delicacy, with the small fishing pole provided. The...