Set of Utensils for the Tea Ceremony
1810s
Medium
Woodblock print (surimono); ink and color on paper
Dimensions
5 7/16 x 7 1/4 in. (13.8 x 18.4 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
JP1974
Tags
Art Historical Context
Kubo Shunman's *Set of Utensils the Tea Ceremony* (1810s) is a delicate woodblock known as a *surimono*, a, privately commissioned format popular in Japan's Edo period (1615–1868). just 5 7/16 x 7 1/4 inches, this intimate work captures the refined tools of *chanoyu*, the Japanese tea ceremony—ladles, whisks, and containers—adorned with blooming flowers that evoke seasonal beauty and impermanence. Shunman, a master of ukiyo-e printmaking, blended poetry and artistry in these bespoke pieces, often produced for New Year's greetings or poetry circles. Surimono like this one stand out for their s...
About the Artist
Kubo Shunman 窪俊満 (Japanese) · 1757 –1820
Japanese, 1757–1820