Screen of Calligraphy and New Year Decoration
19th century
Medium
Woodblock print (surimono); ink and color on paper
Dimensions
5 1/8 x 7 in. (13 x 17.8 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
JP1997
Tags
Art Historical Context
Welcome to the Asian Art galleries, where we encounter the delicate artistry of *Screen of Calligraphy and New Year Decoration* by Ryūryūkyo Shinsai, a masterful woodblock print from Japan's Edo period (1615–1868). Created in the 19th century this intimate surimono—measuring just 5 1/8 x 7 inches—captures a folding screen adorned with elegant calligraphy and festive New Year motifs. Surimono were luxurious, privately commissioned prints, often exchanged as seasonal greetings among poets, artists, and patrons, showcasing the refined tastes of urban elites in Edo (modern Tokyo). Shinsai, a prom...
About the Artist
Ryūryūkyo Shinsai · 1799–1823
Ryūryūkyo Shinsai (柳々居辰斎), active from 1799 to 1823, was a prominent Japanese ukiyo-e printmaker based in Edo (modern Tokyo), renowned for his mastery of surimono—luxurious, privately commissioned woodblock prints produced for elite poetry circles and New Year's celebrations. He began his training under Tawaraya Sōri before becoming a student of the legendary Katsushika Hokusai, from whom he recei...