Japanese Woodblock Surimono - Surimono are an exclusive subcategory of Japanese woodblock prints. Poetry clubs commissioned these designs for distribution to a small audience of members, most often as New Year's greetings. These privately published images included a wonderful range of subjects and lavish printing techniques such as embossing, burnishing, and metallic pigments. Since surimono were not sold commercially, the print runs were very small and original Edo era surimono are incredibly rare in the market today.

Comments - Handsome surimono design of a man smoking a pipe, staring ahead with a slightly startled expression, his eyes wide. He wears a red print coat with a black fur collar over a striped kimono, his thinning hair pulled back into a slender topknot. A pipe case, a tobacco pouch, and a tobacco set rest on the floor before him, with a sword to the side. A folding screen decorated with a blossoming plum tree fills the space behind him, the reverse patterned with swallow and blue and white stripes. The verse appears on the folding screen. Beautifully detailed with embossing on the birds and plum blossoms, and touches of metallic pigment that have oxidized to a dark tone.

Artist - Kuniyasu (1794 - 1832)

Image Size - 8 1/4" x 7 1/4"

Condition - This print with excellent detail as shown. Slight toning, soiling, and rubbing, a few creases. Please see photos for details.