Scissors for Flower Arrangement with a Bag
early 19th century
Medium
Woodblock print (surimono); ink and color on paper
Dimensions
5 1/8 x 7 1/16 in. (13 x 17.9 cm)
Classification
Prints
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
H. O. Havemeyer Collection, Bequest of Mrs. H. O. Havemeyer, 1929
Accession Number
JP2146
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate woodblock print, titledScissors for Flower Arrangement a Bag*, captures an unidentified artist's keen eye for everyday elegance in early 19th-century Japan. Created during the Edo period (161–1868), it showcases specialized scissors and a accompanying bag used in ikebana, the Japanese art of flower arranging. Rendered in vibrant ink and color on paper the intimate dimensions (5 1/8 x 7 1/16 in.) invite close contemplation, typical of surimono—privately commissioned prints produced for poetry gatherings, New Year's greetings, or subtle advertisements among the elite. Surimono ele...