Sword, Shoes and a Scroll, Representing the Chinese Warrior Chōryō
19th century
Medium
Part of an album of woodblock prints (surimono); ink and color on paper
Dimensions
5 13/16 x 7 7/16 in. (14.8 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
JP2253
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the elegant tradition of Edo-period Japan (1615–1868), Ryūryūkyo Shinsai crafted *Sword, Shoes and a, Representing the Chinese Chōryō* as part of a luxurious surimono album. This intimate woodblock print, measuring just 5 13/16 x 7 7/16 inches, uses ink and color on paper cleverly depict everyday objects—a sword, shoes, and a scroll—that form a visual rebus, or pictorial pun, symbolizing the Chinese warrior Chōryō. Surimono, meaning "printed things," were bespoke commissions often shared among poetry societies or for New Year's greetings, showcasing the artist's mastery of subtle wit and re...
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...