舞楽|Courtier Playing a Flute to Accompany a Bugaku Dance

Art Historical Context

In the refined world of Edo-period Japan (1615–8), Kubo Shunman captures a moment of elegant courtly performance in *Courtier Playing a Flute tocompany a Bugaku Dance likely created around 1810.man, a versatile ukiyo-e artist poet active in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, specialized in surimono—privately commissioned woodblock prints produced for poetry societies or New Year's celebrations. This intimate scene depicts a courtier skillfully playing a flute to support a bugaku dance, a stately ritual performance rooted in ancient gagaku music traditions imported from China and Korea during the Heian period. Such imagery evokes the sophisticated cultural life of Japan's aristocracy, blending music, dance, and visual artistry. Printed with ink and color on paper as part of a surimono album, the work measures a compact 5½ x 8¼ inches, ideal for personal appreciation or album binding. Surimono like this exemplify advanced woodblock techniques, allowing for vibrant hues and subtle gradations that bring the flute's melody and dancers' grace to life. From the Metropolitan Museum of Art's H.O. Havemeyer Collection, it highlights Japan's enduring fascination with harmonious arts, inviting visitors to imagine the flute's haunting tones echoing through imperial halls.

About the Artist

Kubo Shunman · 1757–1820

Japanese, 1757–1820