Untitled

Suzuki Harunobu

1725–1770 · Woodblock print; ink and color on paper · Asian Art

A beautiful woman holding a broom looks back at baskets full of love letters borne by an ox. Harunobu's image alludes to the popular Chinese legend of Kanzan (Hanshan) and his companion Jittoku (Shede) from the Tang dynasty (618–907). Kanzan and Jittoku were typically depicted as a pair: the former holds a sutra and the latter a broom.

Artist

Suzuki Harunobu

Date

1725–1770

Medium

Woodblock print; ink and color on paper

Culture

Japan

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Henry L. Phillips Collection, Bequest of Henry L. Phillips, 1939