Telescope with Its Bag
19th century
Medium
Woodblock print (surimono); ink and color on paper
Dimensions
5 11/16 x 7 9/16 in. (14.4 x 19.2 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
JP2094
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the vibrant world of Edo-period Japan (1615–1868), Ryūryūkyo Shinsai crafted this exquisite *Telescope with Its Bag*, 19th-century woodblock print known as a *surimono*. These intimate, privately commissioned prints were often created for New Year's greetings or poetry circles, featuring luxurious techniques like fine line work, vibrant colors, and subtle embossing on paper. Measuring just 5 11/16 x 7 9/16 inches, Shinsai's delicate composition captures the telescope—a marvel of Western technology introduced through limited Dutch trade at Nagasaki—alongside its protective bag, blending Japa...
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...