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.

During the 1890s, publishers reprinted some of the most popular designs by famous artists like Hokkei, Gakutei, Hokusai and others. In keeping with the surimono tradition, the Meiji printings were equally exquisite, printed with the finest inks and embellished with embossing, lacquered pigments, and other design features. In some cases, the original Edo era prints no longer exist, making the Meiji reprints the only record of these subjects. These fascinating and beautifully printed images continue to delight collectors today.

Comments - Attractive surimono design of a beauty reclining with a shamisen in her lap, adjusting a hairpin as she looks at a music book. She wears a checked kimono covered with bats in metallic pigment that has oxidized to a dark tone over a red under robe. The trim on the kimono features delicate embossed lines with white silhouettes of bats. Beautifully detailed and printed with extremely fine line work in the hair, lacquer on the black collar, burnishing on the side of the shamisen neck, and additional embossing on the white kimono collar and the dotted red under robe. A charming surimono print.

Artist - Yanagawa Shigenobu (1787 - 1832)

Image Size - 7 3/8" x 15"

Condition - This print with excellent color and detail as shown. A couple small holes, repaired. Slight toning, small crease at corner. Please see photos for details.