Shrimp and Udo Plant

Art Historical Context

This delicate woodblock print, created by Uematsu Tōshū during Japan’s Edo period, captures a simple yet evocative still life of shrimp and an udo plant. Produced as a surimono—a privately commissioned print often exchanged among poetry circles—the work exemplifies the refined tastes of the era. Surimono were typically small in scale, like this example measuring just over five by seven inches, and were printed with exceptional care using premium papers and sometimes metallic pigments or embossing. In the context of Edo-period art, such prints bridged everyday subjects with literary traditions, frequently accompanying short verses. The shrimp, noted among the museum’s tags as lobster-like, and the udo—a seasonal Japanese vegetable—suggest themes of renewal and natural abundance, common in surimono designed for New Year greetings or seasonal celebrations. These intimate compositions invited quiet contemplation rather than public display. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Asian Art collection as part of the Havemeyer bequest, the print highlights the cross-cultural appreciation for Japanese graphic arts in the early twentieth century. Its modest size and meticulous technique continue to reward close viewing, revealing the subtle interplay of ink and color that defines this specialized print form.