Two women by a tea house in Takanawa
Medium
Color woodblock print; shikishiban diptych, surimono
Dimensions
22.2 × 19.5 cm (left), 22.5 × 19.4 cm (right)
Classification
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
81322
Art Historical Context
In the vibrant world of 19th-century Japanese ukiyo-e prints, Utagawa Kuniy (1797–1861) captures a serene moment in *Two Women by a Tea House in Takanawa*. This exquisite color woodblock print is a shikishiban diptych—a pair of small, square-format panels (each about 22 cm tall)—crafted as a surimono, a luxurious privately commissioned print often exchanged as a New Year's greeting among elites. Produced using meticulous woodblock techniques, it features rich pigments, subtle gradations, and possibly metallic accents like mica for a shimmering effect, showcasing the pinnacle of Edo-period prin...
About the Artist
Utagawa Kuniyoshi · 1797–1861
Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797–1861) was born in Edo to the silk-dyer Yanagiya Kichiyemon, originally bearing the childhood name Yoshisaburō. From a young age, he assisted in his family's pattern design work, which sharpened his innate mastery of color and textile motifs that would permeate his later prints. At around twelve years old, his prodigious drawing skills drew the attention of the renowned Utag...