潮干のつと|Gifts from the Ebb Tide (The Shell Book) (Shiohi no tsuto)

Kitagawa Utamaro

1789 · Polychrome woodblock printed book; ink and color on paper · Asian Art

This illustrated kyōka anthology brings together thirty-six poems by thirty-six poets on the subject of thirty-six seashells. Each spread features six poems above six corresponding images of shells. This is probably the second printing of the book. The main differences from the first printing are the addition of a horizontal band of metal flakes across the center of the six illustrations and a purple wave pattern printed across the tops of the pages.

Artist

Kitagawa Utamaro

Date

1789

Medium

Polychrome woodblock printed book; ink and color on paper

Culture

Japan

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Rogers Fund, 1918