Spinning Wheel and Spools
19th century
Medium
Part of an album of woodblock prints (surimono); ink and color on paper
Dimensions
5 5/16 x 7 3/16 in. (13.5 x 18.3 cm)
Classification
Prints
Culture
Japan
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
JP2317
Art Historical Context
Welcome to the Metropolitan Museum Art's Asian Art collection where you'll find *Sp Wheel and Spools*, delicate 19th-centuryblock print by Ryūūkyo Shins. This intimate work, measuring just 5 5/16 x 73/16 inches, is part of surimono album—urious, privately commissioned prints popular in Edo Japan. Surimono often produced for special occasions like New Year's, blending artistry with poetry and subtle humor, and printed in limited editions on fine paper using vibrant inks and colors. Shinsai, a master of the uki-e tradition, captures everyday objects—a spinning wheel and spools—with exquisite pr...
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...