Violets, Primroses and Other Spring Flowers
19th century
Medium
Part of an album of woodblock prints (surimono); ink and color on paper
Dimensions
8 1/8 x 7 3/8 in. (20.6 x 18.7 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
JP2240
Tags
Art Historical Context
Kubo Shunman's *Violets, Primroses and Other Spring Flowers captures the delicate beauty of early blooms in a intimate woodblock print from Japan's Edo period (1615–1868). in the early 19th century, work is part of a surimono album—a luxurious genre of privately commissioned prints often exchanged as New Year's greetings among poets and elites. Shun, a versatile uki-e artist and kyō poet, excelled in these small-scale masterpieces, blending his literary flair with visual poetry to evoke seasonal renewal. Printed with ink and vibrant colors on paper, the piece measures just 8 1/8 x 7 3/8 inche...
About the Artist
Kubo Shunman · 1757–1820
Japanese, 1757–1820