『春雨集』 摺物帖柳々居辰斎画 蟹と蓮華|Spring Rain Collection (Harusame shū), vol. 1: Crabs and Lotus Blossoms
ca. 1805–10
Medium
Privately published woodblock prints (surimono) mounted in an album; ink and color on paper
Dimensions
5 1/2 x 7 7/16 in. (14 x 18.9 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
JP2039
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the refined world of Edo-period Japan with *Spring Rain Collection (Harus shū)*, volume 1: *Crabs and Lotus Bloms*, a masterful surimono by Ryūryūkyo Shinsai (active ca. 1799–1816). Created around 1805–10, this privately published woodblock print captures the artist's signature elegance in depicting crabs amid blooming lotuses. Shinsai, a leading ukiyo-e specialist surimono—luxury albums commissioned by poetry circles or elites—elevated these intimate works into poetic treasures, often pairing intricate imagery with kyōka verse. The medium shines through advanced woodblock technique...
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...