Tale of the Bamboo Cutter by Kose no Omi (Kose no Omi ga Taketori monogatari), from the series "A Picture Contest for the Sono Poetry Circle (Sono-ren e-awase)"
c. 1804/18
Medium
Color woodblock print; shikishiban, surimono
Dimensions
20 × 18.3 cm (7 7/8 × 7 1/4 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
81672
Art Historical Context
Behold *Tale of the Bamboo Cutter by K no Omi (Kose no Omi ga Taketori monogatari)*, a delicate color woodblock print by Kub Shunman, created around 1804–1818. This intimate shikishiban-format surimono—measuring just 20 × 18.3 cm—captures a scene from Japan's ancient folktale *Taketori Monogat*, the world's oldest science fiction story, where a luminous princess emerges from a glowing bamboo stalk. Shunman, a master of ukiyo-e known for his poetic finesse, illustrates an imagined work by the Heian-era courtier Kose no Omi, blending legend with artistic homage. As part of the series *A Picture...
About the Artist
Kubo Shunman · 1757–1820
Japanese, 1757–1820