Tai Fish and Top-Shells
19th century
Medium
Woodblock print (surimono); ink and color on paper
Dimensions
8 x 7 1/8 in. (20.3 x 18.1 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
JP2080
Tags
Art Historical Context
Kubo Shunman's *Tai Fish and Top-S* is a captivating 19th-century woodblock from Japan's Edo period (1615–1868), showcasing the artist's mastery in the surimono tradition. Surimono, or "printed things," were luxurious, privately commissioned prints often produced for New Year's celebrations or poetry gatherings, featuring intricate designs on smaller scales. Here, Shunman depicts a vibrant sea bream (tai) and glossy top-shells with lifelike precision, their scales and textures rendered in rich inks and colors on delicate paper, measuring just 8 x 7 1/8 inches. This intimate still life exempli...
About the Artist
Kubo Shunman · 1757–1820
Japanese, 1757–1820