Cherry Blossoms and Seal-box with Ink and Ruler
19th century
Medium
Part of an album of woodblock prints (surimono); ink and color on paper
Dimensions
8 1/4 x 7 3/8 in. (21 x 18.7 cm)
Classification
Prints
Culture
Japan
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
JP2303
Tags
Art Historical Context
Kubo Shunman's *Cherry Blossoms and Seal-box with Ink and Ruler is a delicate gem from a 19th-century album of surimono—luxurious, privately commissioned woodblock prints popular in Japan during the Edo period. Created with ink and color on paper this intimate work measures just 8¼ x 7⅜ inches, showcasing the precision of ukiyo-e techniques in a compact format. Shunman, a versatile artist known for his poetic depictions of nature and everyday elegance, captures fleeting cherry blossoms cascading over a scholar's seal-box, inkstone, and ruler, evoking the refined world of literati culture. Sur...
About the Artist
Kubo Shunman · 1757–1820
Japanese, 1757–1820