Summer Robes (Natsugoromo), from the series "A Comparison of Incense (Takimono awase)"
c. 1822
Medium
Color woodblock print; shikishiban, surimono
Dimensions
21 × 18.2 cm (8 1/4 × 7 3/16 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
81343
Art Historical Context
Behold *Summer Robes (Natsugoromo)*, a delicate color woodblock print by Yanagawa Shigen II, created around 1822. This intimate shikishiban-format work—square and compact at just 21 × 18.2 cm—hails from the series *A Comparison of Inc (Takimono awase)*, a playful Edo-period tradition where poets matched evocative scents to seasonal themes through kyōka verse. Here, the "summer robes" evoke lightweight yukata garments, shimmering with cool elegance amid the humid Japanese summer. As a surimono, or privately commissioned print, it exemplifies the luxurious side of ukiyo-e artistry. Produced for...