Untitled

Totoya Hokkei

ca. 1815–20 · Woodblock print (surimono); ink and color on paper · Asian Art

Bird-and-flower, or "kachō," subjects were prevalent in Japanese painting and other arts for hundreds of years, though surimono were the first single-sheet woodblock prints to incorporate fully this traditional motif. In this print by Hokkei, the stylized gold cloud design is drawn from classical painting styles. The heaviness of the right side of this composition is delightfully balanced by the precariously perched warbler.

Artist

Totoya Hokkei

Date

ca. 1815–20

Medium

Woodblock print (surimono); ink and color on paper

Culture

Japan

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

H. O. Havemeyer Collection, Bequest of Mrs. H. O. Havemeyer, 1929