White Rat and Bundles of Cloth
probably 1816
Medium
Woodblock print (surimono); ink and color on paper
Dimensions
8 1/4 x 5 3/8 in. (21 x 13.7 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
JP2179
Tags
Art Historical Context
Kubo Shunman's *White and Bundles of Cloth* (ca. 1816) is delightful surimonoblock print from Japan's Edo period (5–1868), a time when ukiyo artists captured the floating world's whimsy and elegance. Shunman a master of this intimate genre, created surimono—priv commissioned prints often exchanged among poetry for New Year's greetings or. This small gem, measuring just 8¼ x 5⅜ inches, a pristine white rat perched amid folded bundles of cloth, blending everyday with poetic subtlety. The of ink and color on paper highlights ukiyo-e's innovative: multiple woodblocks for vibrant layering, precise...
About the Artist
Kubo Shunman · 1757–1820
Japanese, 1757–1820