Surimono: Privately Published Japanese Prints

Exhibition

Exhibition Overview

Surimono: Privately Published Japanese Prints
Surimono: Privately Published Japanese Prints
Roger Keyes, curator
The Santa Barbara Museum of Art, Santa Barbara, California

Surimono prints were often commissioned by poetry groups and designed both by leading ukiyo-e artists and by amateurs, to be given to friends as New Year's greetings and announcements of special events. In delightful essays on sixty prints, Roger Keynes, guest curator, draws upon his extensive familiarity with history and legends, language and literature, customs and culture, to reveal the fascination of a forgotten art. The catalogue of the exhibition includes a complete catalogue of the collection of prints at the Spencer Museum of Art (University of Kansas) with 60 color plates, 186 black and white reproductions, brief entries on 268 images and a comprehensive bibliography.

Surimono, the most elegant woodblock prints ever made, were sent as New Year's greetings in 19th century Japan. These were selected from the Museum's collection of 268 images.

Exhibition images

Works of art

Utagawa Hiroshige (1797–1858), sparrow on rose branch
late 1830 or early 1840s, Edo period (1600–1868)
Utagawa Kunisada (1786–1864), Ichikawa Danjūrō VII as Soga no Gorō
1821 or 1822, Edo period (1600–1868)
Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797–1861), Ichikawa Ebizō V (Danjūrō VII)
mid 1830s, Edo period (1600–1868)
Totoya Hokkei (1780–1850), Qingao riding a carp
circa 1820, Edo period (1600–1868)
Totoya Hokkei (1780–1850), Hotei
circa mid 1810s, Edo period (1600–1868)
Utagawa Sadakage I (active circa 1818–1844), Segawa Kikunojō V as Yukihime
1832, Edo period (1600–1868)
Katsukawa Shun'ei (1762–1819), long-tailed turtles
late 1810s, Edo period (1600–1868)
Totoya Hokkei (1780–1850), street dancers
1811, Edo period (1600–1868)
Ryūryūkyo Shinsai (1764–1820), bolts of fabric
circa late 1810s, Edo period (1600–1868)
Yashima Gakutei (circa 1786–1868, active 1815–1852), Ushiwaka and Sōjōbō
1820s, Edo period (1600–1868)
Yanagawa Shigenobu (1787–1832), puppy with kite and ball
1826, Edo period (1600–1868)
Ryūryūkyo Shinsai (1764–1820), Niwatori Muko (The Rooster Bridegroom)
1813, Edo period (1600–1868)
Katsushika Hokusai (1760–1849), Microscope
circa 1800–1805, Edo period (1600–1868)
Katsushika Hokusai (1760–1849), Ōiko and Fan Kuai
1820, Edo period (1600–1868)
Asayama Ashikuni (circa 1775–1818); Nakamura Utaemon III (1778–1838), Nakamura Utaemon III in six roles
Asayama Ashikuni (circa 1775–1818); Nakamura Utaemon III (1778–1838)
1817, Edo period (1600–1868)
Yashima Gakutei (circa 1786–1868, active 1815–1852), Hōjō Tokiyori
circa 1820, Edo period (1600–1868)
Katsushika Hokusai (1760–1849), courtesan at window
circa late 1790s, Edo period (1600–1868)
Nagayama Kōin (1765–1849), tortoise carrying rock symbolizing Mr. Hōrai
Nagayama Kōin (1765–1849)
early 1820s, Edo period (1600–1868)
Yokoyama Kazan (1784–1837), Minister Hong bows to the Heavenly Teacher
early 1890s, Edo period (1600–1868)
Hishikawa Sōri (active 1790–1810), woman and child
circa 1800–1805, Edo period (1600–1868)
Yanagawa Shigenobu (1787–1832), geisha with iris crown
early 1820s, Edo period (1600–1868)
Utagawa Kunisada (1786–1864), courtesans and attendants under a plum tree
circa 1820s–1830s, Edo period (1600–1868)
still life
1821?, Edo period (1600–1868)
Utagawa Kunisada (1786–1864), Segawa Kikunojō V drawing sword
circa 1823, Edo period (1600–1868)
Totoya Hokkei (1780–1850), Ebisu
circa mid 1810s, Edo period (1600–1868)
Toyohisa II (active circa 1830), Kikujidō seated by a stream
Toyohisa II (active circa 1830)
1830, 9th month, Edo period (1600–1868)
Totoya Hokkei (1780–1850), Do (Earth)
1820s, Edo period (1600–1868)
Ryūryūkyo Shinsai (1764–1820), poet and plum tree
circa late 1810s, Edo period (1600–1868)
Yoshimi Shūri (active 1810s–1820s), Kara monogatari (Stories of China)
Yoshimi Shūri (active 1810s–1820s)
circa late 1810s, Edo period (1600–1868)
Keisai Eisen (1790–1848), an ōtsu painting of a rat
1828, Edo period (1600–1868)
Katsushika Hokusai (1760–1849), Kami (Paper)
1823, Edo period (1600–1868)
Kita Busei (1776–1856); Tatekawa Emba II (active early 1800s), badger and rabbit
Kita Busei (1776–1856); Tatekawa Emba II (active early 1800s)
1831, Edo period (1600–1868)
Suzuki Nanrei (1775–1844), pony dancer
1813, Edo period (1600–1868)
Ryūryūkyo Shinsai (1764–1820), folded robe and crown
1818, Edo period (1600–1868)
Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797–1861), Iwai Hanshirō V seated by a brazier
circa 1825–1835, Edo period (1600–1868)
Katsushika Hokusai (1760–1849), chrysanthemum display
1799, Edo period (1600–1868)
Yokoyama Kazan (1784–1837), Minister Hong bows to the heavenly teacher
1829, Edo period (1600–1868)
Totoya Hokkei (1780–1850), courtesan, client, and entertainer
1811, Edo period (1600–1868)
Katsushika Hokusai (1760–1849), cranes in pine tree
circa 1805, Edo period (1600–1868)
Totoya Hokkei (1780–1850), still life
1813, Edo period (1600–1868)
Yashima Gakutei (circa 1786–1868, active 1815–1852), Nō (Ability)
circa late 1810s, Edo period (1600–1868)
Ryūryūkyo Shinsai (1764–1820), bird's eye view of the Sumida River
circa late 1810s, Edo period (1600–1868)
Hishikawa Sōri (active 1790–1810), spring landscape
circa 1805, Edo period (1600–1868)
Katsushika Hokusai (1760–1849), Tomoe Gozen and Xiang Yu
1820, Edo period (1600–1868)