Japanese Ukiyo-e Prints

Elegant woodblock prints illustrating traditional Japanese scenes, featuring beautiful figures and nature motifs in delicate colors and vivid details from the 18th and 19th centuries.

Plum Tree right of a pair of Plum Trees, late 17th century, Hasegawa Tōtetsu, Japanese, 17th century, 64 1/2 x 142 1/2in. (163.8 x 362cm), Ink and color on gold leaf on paper, Japan, 17th century

The Second Segawa Kikunojo in the Role of Reizei in "Ima-o-sakari Suehiro Genji". Artist: Ippitsusai Buncho (Japanese, active 1760-1794). Culture: Japan. Dimensions: 12 5/8 x 5 7/8 in. (32.1 x 14.9 cm). Date: 12th month, 1768. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Plum Tree right of a pair of Plum Trees, late 17th century, Hasegawa Tōtetsu, Japanese, 17th century, 64 1/2 x 142 1/2in. (163.8 x 362cm), Ink and color on gold leaf on paper, Japan, 17th century

Parody of Sun Kang, also known as Snow by theWindow. Artist: Suzuki Harunobu, Japanese, 1725-1770

Bookstand Containing a Crystal Ball and a Piece of Cloth. Artist: Kubo Shunman (Japanese, 1757-1820). Culture: Japan. Dimensions: 8 x 10 3/16 in. (20.3 x 25.9 cm). Date: 19th century. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Sadakuro kilIIng Yoichibei, scene from the 5th act of the drama: Treasury of fideIIty /Chishingura

Peasant and noble. ink on paper. Origin: Japan. Period: Edo period. Date: 1615-1868. Museum: Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery.

Mandarin ducks and cotton rose hibiscus late 15th century Lü Ji Chinese Big, colorful, and dazzling, this painting demonstrates why Lü Ji became the most revered bird-and-flower painter at the court of the Ming emperor Hongzhi (r. 1488-1505). Hung in a palace, this work would have added a splash of pizzazz, brightening the interior space with the vitality of the natural world. Like most of Lüs paintings, this one also has a symbolic dimension: the pair of mandarin ducks in the foreground connote a happy marriage, while the surrounding flowers form rebuses (visual puns) that underscore the message. For instance, the word for “hibiscus” (furong ??) combines with “cassia” (gui ?) to form the rebus furong qigui ????, meaning “prosperous groom, honorable bride”—the perfect painting to celebrate a wedding.. Mandarin ducks and cotton rose hibiscus. Lü Ji (Chinese, active late 15th century). China. late 15th century. Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk. Ming dynasty (1368-1644). Paintings

Ichimura Kakitsu Holding an Inscribed Fan. Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (Japan, 1839-1892). Japan, 1862, fifth month. Prints; woodblocks. Color woodblock print

The landlord waking up his guards, painter from the Tosa school, from a traditional literature novel, Japan. Japanese Civilisation, 19th century.

The Actor Ichikawa Komazo I in the Role of Satsuma Kushi no Gengobyoye. Artist: Torii Kiyonaga (Japanese, 1752-1815). Culture: Japan. Dimensions: 12 x 5 7/32 in. (30.5 x 13.3 cm). Date: ca. 1763. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Portrait of Botanka Shhaku second half 18th century Maruyama kyo Botanka Shhaku (1443-1527) was a medieval priest and waka poet. Here the learned man holds a fan painted with a Chinese-style landscape; a closed book lies at his feet. The artist, Maruyama kyo, is renowned today as the founder of the Maruyama school of painting. Although the work is a copy of an earlier painting, kyo’s delineation of the face nonetheless reflects a concern with the realistic portrayal of human figures.. Portrait of Botanka Shhaku. Maruyama kyo (Japanese, 1733-1795). Japan. second half 18th century. Hanging scroll; ink on paper. Edo period (1615-1868). Paintings

Japan, Tatazumi, Kitsudô, Wakama, Umenokado, Kunisada (I), Utagawa, Gobantsuzuki no uchi, A series of five prints, Actor as a warrior, verso - stamped, A night scene with the kabuki actor Onoe Kikugorô III (1784-1849) in the role of a samurai, while he is in battle. In his right hand he holds a sword while in his left hand he holds a sash. With two poems. Center sheet of a pentaptych., print, surimono, prints, Japan (collection), passe-partout, bottom left - printed, height 204 mm, width 179 mm, Japanese, 1786 - 1865, print maker, printmaker, 1823 - 1824, first quarter 19th century, second quarter 19th century, paper, color woodcut, blind printing, poet

Prince Genji in elegant modern dress in an elegant apartment with the blinds rolled up so he can enjoy the autumnal garden and listen to the cricket's song; a girl attendant pours him sake. Colour woodcut by Kunisada, 1860.

Poets Gathering in the Orchid Pavilion dated 1607 Qian Gong Chinese. Poets Gathering in the Orchid Pavilion. Qian Gong. China. dated 1607. Handscroll; ink wash on silk brocade. Ming dynasty (1368-1644). Paintings

Making Ceramics first half of the19th century Eiraku Hozen Hozen, the eleventh-generation master of the Nishimura family, learned pottery techniques in Kyoto and produced tea utensils prized by the Sen family of tea masters. After 1827, he sealed his works as Eiraku.” He produced a variety of fine-quality wares, most of them special orders, including blue-and-white porcelain, copies of Chinese porcelain, and Cochin-style (K?chi ware) works with polychrome glazes. One of his signature techniques was the delicate application of overglaze gold patterns (kinrande) on red ground. Furthermore, Hozen made numerous copies of Ninsei ware. He was one of the most influential ceramists in Kyoto in the nineteenth century. An amateur painter, he created this series of six hanging scrolls (18.77.2-.7) depicting the process of ceramic production.In this scene, clay is being prepared for use. First it is crushed with a wooden mallet to produce a uniform texture, ground, cleaned and mixed with water, a

Edo, Utamaro, Kitagawa, Courtesans with two male guests, Eighth and ninth pages of part two of Utamaro`s book: Events in the pleasure houses during the year., page, prints, Japan (collection), height 226 mm, width 158 mm, Japanese, 1753 - 1806, print maker, printmaker, 1804 - 1804, first quarter 19th century, paper, colour woodcut

Kingfisher Perched above a Stream, late 1400s. Kenkō Shōkei (Japanese, active 1478-1506). Hanging scroll; ink on paper; painting only: 74.5 x 38 cm (29 5/16 x 14 15/16 in.); including mounting: 152.5 x 40.7 cm (60 1/16 x 16 in.).

Moon, Pine and Maple Japan. Hanging scroll, ink, colors and gold on silk . Katsushika Hokusai

The River Bridge at Uji. Date/Period: 1568 - 1615. Painting. One of a pair of six-fold screens: ink and color over gold-foil ground on paper One of a pair of six-fold screens: ink and color over gold-foil ground on paper. Height: 1,714.50 mm (67.50 in); Width: 3,384.55 mm (11.10 ft). Author: UNKNOWN.

The poet Fujiwara no Akisuke gazing at the moon, 1840, by Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1798-1861), woodcut, Japan. Japanese Civilisation, Meiji period, 19th century.

Japan, Kasumi, Senshûan, Shinsai, Ryûryûkyo, Woman with a bucket, A woman carries a wooden bucket in which she collects the first water of the new year. Her bucket is decorated with New Year's attributes, such as a fern leaf and a twisted rope. Next to her walks a boy with a white rat in his hand, referring to the year of the rat, 1817. With six poems., print, prent, surimono, prints, Japan (collection), height 214 mm, width 186 mm, Japanese, 1764 - 1825, print maker, printmaker, 1804 - 1804, first quarter 19th century, paper, colour woodcut, blind printing, 1761 - 1811, poet

Three Courtesans and a Kamuro Strolling in the Street. Artist: After Okumura Masanobu (Japanese, 1686-1764). Culture: Japan. Dimensions: 10 1/4 x 14 11/16 in. (26 x 37.3 cm). Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

A Samurai who Hides His Features with His Hat. Artist: After Okumura Masanobu (Japanese, 1686-1764). Culture: Japan. Dimensions: 10 1/4 x 14 11/16 in. (26 x 37.3 cm). Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Suzuki Harunobu (1724 July 7, 1770) was a Japanese woodblock print artist, one of the most famous in the Ukiyo-e style. He was an innovator, the first to produce full-color prints (nishiki-e) in 1765, rendering obsolete the former modes of two- and three-color prints. Harunobu used many special techniques, and depicted a wide variety of subjects, from classical poems to contemporary beauties (bijin, bijin-ga). Like many artists of his day, Harunobu also produced a number of shunga, or erotic images. During his lifetime and shortly afterwards, many artists imitated his style. A few, such as Harushige, even boasted of their ability to forge the work of the great master. Much about Harunobu's life is unknown.

Landscape. Watanabe Shikō (Japan, 1683-1755). Japan, Edo period, 18th century. Paintings; screens. One from a pair of six-panel screens; ink on gold leaf

Roosters in Face Off left of a pair, late 16th century, attributed to Kano Yukinobu, Japanese, c. 1513 - 1575, 39 9/16 × 19 9/16 in. (100.49 × 49.69 cm) (image)74 3/16 × 23 7/8 in. (188.44 × 60.64 cm) (mount, without roller), Ink and color on paper, Japan, 16th century

Seated Arhat with Two Attendants, late 1200s. China, Southern Song dynasty (1127-1279). Hanging scroll, ink and color on silk; overall with knobs: 201 x 75.5 cm (79 1/8 x 29 3/4 in.); painting only: 94 x 50 cm (37 x 19 11/16 in.).

Scene 4. handscrolls. 1660. Spencer Collection. Manuscripts, Japanese

Proof Line-Block Print for Fan 19th century Utagawa (Gountei) Sadahide Japanese. Proof Line-Block Print for Fan 73640

Visitor to a mountain retreat. Date: 16th century. Origin: China. Period: Ming dynasty. Hanging scroll mounted on panel; ink and color on silk. Museum: Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery.

The First Nakamura Tomijuro in the Role of Izaemon. Artist: Katsukawa Shunsho (Japanese, 1726-1792). Culture: Japan. Dimensions: 12 x 5 5/8 in. (30.5 x 14.3 cm). Date: 2nd month, 1771. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Chinese Sages, mid- to late 1600s. Attributed to Kano Tanyū (Japanese, 1602-1674). Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk; painting only: 48 x 88.5 cm (18 7/8 x 34 13/16 in.); including mounting: 145.5 x 98.5 cm (57 5/16 x 38 3/4 in.).

Scenes from Essays in Idleness, late 1700s-early 1800s. Matsumura Goshun (Japanese, 1752-1811). Pair of six-panel folding screens; ink and color on paper; Matsumura Goshun inscribed passages from Buddhist monk Yoshida Kenk’s (1283-1350) well-known collection of anecdotes, Essays in Idleness, across the top of each of the twelve panels of this pair of screens. Goshun illustrated the episodes with his vision of the figures who feature in them. The texts cascade down from right to left, forming unique compositional relationships with the images below.

'Twins Presents Jewelry'. China, late 19th - early 20th century. Dimensions: 57x34,5 cm. Museum: State Hermitage, St. Petersburg.

Sea and Sky at Sunrise 17th century Unidentified artist This fanciful painting bears a suite of false inscriptions and seals, including a fake signature of the twelfth-century court painter Zhao Boju. Zhao was famous for his blue-green landscapes, and many paintings bearing his name were produced in later centuries, some intended to fool collectors and others as charming reproductions. This painting, likely made in the seventeenth century, belongs to the latter category. The intense palette of azurite blue and malachite green, and the scalloped clouds that cling to the mountains, signals a magical, mysterious place that is difficult to access and inhabited by supernatural beings.. Sea and Sky at Sunrise 51564

Four Admirers. Artist: Kano Tsunenobu (Japanese, 1636-1713). Culture: Japan. Dimensions: Image: 21 5/16 x 46 in. (54.1 x 116.8 cm)Overall with mounting: 67 5/8 x 55 1/2 in. (171.8 x 141 cm). Date: late 17th-early 18th century.One of the many pictorial subjects of Chinese origin adopted by the Kano school of painters, images of the Four Admirers portray beloved Chinese literary figures with the flower, and by extension the season, that each admired most. In this painting by Tsunenobu, a second-generation head of the Kano school's Kobikicho branch in Edo (now Tokyo), the four literary heroes appear within a single pictorial space replete with seasonal, historical, and literary allusions.At far right is the poet Lin Hejing (967-1028), known for admiring plum blossoms at the hermitage he shared with pet cranes. Nearby is Tao Yuanming (365-427), who famously wrote of gathering chrysanthemums at his country estate in autumn. The scholar Zhou Maoshu (1017-1073) relaxes on a boat surrounded

Rashomon, from the series Pictures of No Performances (Nogaku Zue) 1893-1903 Japan. Color woodblock print . Tsukioka Kôgyo

Portrait of I-an, P'ing, Lo

Suyderhoef, Jonas, Eleazar Swalmius, (1000 - 2003), copper engraving, graphics, sheet width 26.2 cm, sheet height 33.5 cm

Ichikawa Danjūrō VIII as Tsukushi Gonroku, Bandō Shūka as Yakko no Koman, and Nakamura Utaemon IV as Asada Tōbei in Danjo Date kurabe. Utagawa Kuniteru (Japan, 1829-1874). Japan, circa 1850. Prints; woodblocks. Triptych of color woodblock prints, center panel

Roller painting, Tatsu, 1700 - 1800 Standing woman reads a letter; In the air a flight geese and on the ground browse and a plum blossom branch. In wooden box. Japan paper Standing woman reads a letter; In the air a flight geese and on the ground browse and a plum blossom branch. In wooden box. Japan paper

Edo Period, Japanese screen with cranes and stalks on a gold background

Children playing in the palace garden late 13th-15th century Unidentified artist Twenty-two boys play games, ride hobbyhorses (a toy that may have been invented in China), and enjoy a large masonry slide in the corner of an imperial garden. Children at play was a popular subject among artists of the earlier Song Imperial Painting Academy. Judging from the costumes and representational techniques, this painting was most likely executed in the first years of the Ming dynasty, when the imperial court revived the styles and subjects of the academy.. Children playing in the palace garden. Unidentified artist Chinese, active late 13th-15th century. China. late 13th-15th century. Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk. late Yuan (1271-1368)-early Ming (1368-1644) dynasty. Paintings

Bird on a Rock by a Flowering Branch dated 1879 Ren Xun Chinese Ren Xun painted this delicate fan in Suzhou, where he spent a good part of his artistic career before going to Shanghai. This work draws upon the highly representational style of the Southern Song (1127-1279) Imperial Painting Academy, merging exquisite drawing in fine contour lines with meticulously graded colored washes in a highly naturalistic image of great charm. The painting reflects Ren's keen observation of nature: a tiny bird, perched on one foot on an ornamental garden rock, bends its head to meet its uplifted foot, using wings and tail to maintain balance. Compared to his Song academic predecessors, Ren Xun brings his image closer to the viewer, cropping the bird's tail and the tree trunk, giving his picture immediacy and impact.. Bird on a Rock by a Flowering Branch 49461

Warrior and Lady, 1810 - 1830, Woodcuts, Surimono, A depiction of a warrior and a lady, possibly illustrating a narrative or relationship between the two figures

Otafuku

Hokusai, Katsushika, work, Battle scene from Yekon Waka's shohonkvai, Osaka 1836, 1836, colored woodcut, graphics, leaf width 30.4 cm, leaf height 22 cm

Suzuki Harunobu (1724 July 7, 1770) was a Japanese woodblock print artist, one of the most famous in the Ukiyo-e style. He was an innovator, the first to produce full-color prints (nishiki-e) in 1765, rendering obsolete the former modes of two- and three-color prints. Harunobu used many special techniques, and depicted a wide variety of subjects, from classical poems to contemporary beauties (bijin, bijin-ga). Like many artists of his day, Harunobu also produced a number of shunga, or erotic images. During his lifetime and shortly afterwards, many artists imitated his style. A few, such as Harushige, even boasted of their ability to forge the work of the great master. Much about Harunobu's life is unknown.

Magu - the goddess of flowers. unknown, painter

Scenes from the Tales ofGenji. Artist: Tosa School, Japanese

Scene 3a, 1660, 1660, Japan, Manuscripts, Japanese

Senchūbō. Utagawa Yoshitsuya (Japan, 1822-1866). Japan, 1864. Prints; woodblocks. Color woodblock print

Chinese Children Playing with an Elephant right of a pair, late 18th-mid 19th century, Style of Nagasawa Rosetsu, Japanese, 1754 - 1799, 66 1/4 × 141 in. (168.28 × 358.14 cm) (image)67 3/4 × 142 1/2 in. (172.09 × 361.95 cm) (outer frame), Ink and gold on paper, Japan, 18th - 19th century, Japanese artists, catering to the sentimental tastes of their customers, routinely depicted groups of children at play. Rosetsu brought new vitality to this stock subject by showing the youngsters doing unusual activities. Here, in the right screen, several Chinese children explore the enormous proportions of a gentle white elephant, which seems to smile, tickled by the tiny feet on its great, lumpy back. In the left screen, the youngsters participate in a game of 'child snatching' whereby a 'catcher' (at the extreme right) tries to grab a child who is protected by a 'parent,' who stands at the head of the long, winding line with outstretched arms.

Li Tieguai, 1300s. China, Yuan dynasty (1271-1368). Hanging scroll, ink and color on silk; image: 107 x 38.5 cm (42 1/8 x 15 3/16 in.); overall: 182.8 x 59.1 cm (71 15/16 x 23 1/4 in.).

Japan, Kuniyoshi, Utagawa, Shijonawate nite Nanke no eiyu taiteki o, The last attack of the Kusunoki at Shijonawate, verso - stamped, Warrior of the Kusunoki clan, with dead opponent, during an arrow attack by the Ashikaga troops at Shijonawate. Sixth sheet of six-part print, print, prints, Japan (collection), height 375 mm, width 253 mm, Japanese, 1798 - 1861-04-14, print maker, printmaker, 1847 - 1847, second quarter 19th century, paper, papier, nishiki-e, color woodcut

Tokyo, Akiyama Buemon, Japan, Yoshitoshi, Tsukioka, Tsuki hyakushi, One Hundred Aspects of the Moon, Chofu sato no tsuki, The Moon over the Village of Chofu, verso - stamped, Two women, sheet filling along a river, under a full moon; drying sheet and a house in the background., print, engraving, prints, engravings, Japan (collection), height 351 mm, width 244 mm, Japanese, 1839 - 1892, print maker, printmaker, 1891 - 1891, fourth quarter 19th century, paper, colour woodcut, blind stamp, Publication (Event), Publication, publisher

Woman Performing Hat Dance Ogata Gekko (Japanese, 1859-1920). Woman Performing Hat Dance, late 19th century. Hanging scroll, ink, color, silver and gold silk, Image: 48 x 18 7/8 in. (121.9 x 47.9 cm). Asian Art late 19th century

Yoshino Shizuka, from the series Pictures of No Performances (Nogaku Zue) 1893-1903 Japan. Color woodblock print . Tsukioka Kôgyo

Summer and Winter Landscapes (one of a pair), 1600s. Kano Naonobu (Japanese, 1607-1650). Six-panel folding screen; ink on gold- and silver-decorated paper; framed: 170 x 354 x 58.7 cm (66 15/16 x 139 3/8 x 23 1/8 in.). This sparse composition depicts a summer scene on the right and a winter scene on the left. Careful observation reveals that the pair of screens was once damaged, and a later conservation including new sections of paper and inpainting sought to preserve the original flavor of the paintings so they could continue to be appreciated. Kano Naonobu was born in Kyoto, the younger brother of major painter and authenticator Kano Tany? (1602-1674). He relocated to Edo (present-day Tokyo) at the behest of the Tokugawa government in 1630 where he worked with his brother and teacher. In Kyoto, he helped his brother with paintings for Nij? Castle and the major Pure Land Buddhist temple Chionin.

Gazing at a Waterfall Tang Yin Chinese The scholar in this fan painting, apparently lost in the pleasures of watching a waterfall in the comfort of a thatched pavilion built expressly for this purpose, must represent the dream of every Chinese scholar-artist. A superb calligrapher, Tang Yin is able to impart extraordinary expressiveness to his rock and tree forms, which are done in the Southern Song ink-wash idiom, normally considered the style of the "professional" painters of his time.. Gazing at a Waterfall 45772

Woman Walking in the Snow. Artist: Utagawa Hiroshige (Japanese, Tokyo (Edo) 1797-1858 Tokyo (Edo)). Culture: Japan. Dimensions: 31 1/8 x 12 1/2 in. (79.1 x 31.8 cm). Date: 1840s-early 1850s.In his prints, Hiroshige used the unprinted white paper to represent snow, a technique also exploited in this painting, in which unpainted silk, reserved against the pale ink wash, suggests the snow-covered areas. Slightly bleeding ink creates the impression of fluffy snow, and snowflakes were rendered with splashes of opaque white pigment. By contrast, the figure's partially revealed red undergarment intensifies the white.Hiroshige's early works, of the mid-to late 1820s, depict slouching, long-faced women, while his later works present tall beauties in landscape settings, as in this scroll, made in the 1840s or early 1850s. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Annals of the Meiji Period: The Rebel Insurrection in the Kagoshima Disturbance. Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (Japan, 1839-1892). Japan, 1877, February. Prints; woodblocks. Triptych; color woodblock print

England, Kent, Edenbridge, Chiddingstone, Chiddingstone Castle, Exhibit of a Chinese Screen

Scene from a Drama "Hoshiai Nagoya" Performed at the Nakamura Theatre. Artist: Okumura Masanobu (Japanese, 1686-1764). Culture: Japan. Dimensions: 10 3/8 x 14 3/4 in. (26.4 x 37.5 cm). Date: probably 1709. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Noble woman in a carriage viewing cherry blossoms. Chobunsai Eishi; Japanese, 1756-1829. Date: 1791-1801. Dimensions: 39 x 75.7 cm. Color woodblock print; oban triptych. Origin: Japan. Museum: The Chicago Art Institute, Chicago, USA.

Drawings and Poems by Various Artists ca. 1814 Shokusanjin (Ōta Nanpo) Yosegaki, or "gathered writings," are collaborative works for which prominent poets and painters of the day would each contribute a poem in Chinese or Japanese or a little drawing on a seasonal or poetic theme. Random in arrangement and disjunctive in perspectival and spatial relationships, the images are a cornucopia of pictorial elements representing sundry aspects of life in Edo (present-day Tokyo) during the early nineteenth century. This work, on silk, is a deluxe example with such an impressive array of contributors that we must assume it was compiled over the course of several months, perhaps with certain poets and artists collaborating on particular sections.. Drawings and Poems by Various Artists. Shokusanjin (Ōta Nanpo) (Japanese, 1749-1823). Japan. ca. 1814. Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk. Edo period (1615-1868). Paintings

At the Dressing Table 19th century Unidentified artist. At the Dressing Table 51511

The Poem of Motoyoshi Shinno, from the series: One hundred poems painted according to the Explanations of the Nurses /Hyunin Isshu Ubaba Etoki Katsushika, hokusai (1760 1849)

Waterloo, Antonie, work, Horseman at the gate, (1000 - 2000), etching, graphics, 24 cm x 29.5 cm

Painting

Artist: Wang Jian, Chinese, 1598-1677, Landscapes in the Styles of Old Masters; Landscape after Hui Chong(965-1017), Album leaf, ink and color on paper, image: 8 3/8 × 5 9/16 in. (21.3 × 14.1 cm), China, Chinese, Qing dynasty(1644-1911), Paintings

A Pavilion, 1127-1279. China, Southern Song Dynasty (1127-1279) . Album leaf; ink and color on silk; overall: 17.8 x 21 cm (7 x 8 1/4 in.).

Lanting Pavilion by a Winding Stream 1829 Hara Zaich Hara Zaich, one of the leading painters of Kyoto of the day, in an expansive, brightly colored landscape has captured an imaginary scene of the famous poetry gathering at the Orchid Pavilion convened by Wang Xizhi (ca. 303-ca. 361), regarded as the greatest calligrapher of ancient China. Wang had invited forty-one scholarly acquaintances to an outing on banks of a winding stream, where they composed poetry and drank wine from cups that had been set floating on the stream (to give an added an incentive to compose impromptu poetry). The draft manuscript of the preface Wang created to the forty-one poems immortalized the occasion for generations of literati artists both in China and Japan. According to tradition, the original manuscript was a treasured calligraphy model of the Tang emperor Taizong and was interred with him when he died, in 649. The many copies that survived insured that the preface would be known and revered in ye

Strolling in town on a summer's evening under a full moon. Colour woodcut, ca. 1900.

A young woman reading near a screen. Origin: Japan. Period: Edo period. Date: 1615-1868. Full color and gold on panel. Museum: Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery.

Yueyang Pavilion Kan Isenin Naganobu Japanese 1823 This diptych of colorful landscapes, brushed in meticulous detail, showcases the expert abilities of the painter Isenin Naganobu, of the Edo Kano school, to convert famous Chinese poems of the past into evocative imagery for his wealthy Japanese clients of the early nineteenth century. On the right scroll, a two-story Chinese pavilion stands on the waters edge. While a young servant prepares wine on the table, a scholar in red robes looks down at a fellow scholar in blue robes who has just arrived at the gate, accompanied by a groom leading a horse and a young servant carrying his belongings. Leashed to the balustrade on the second floor, a pair of gibbons seem to be greeting the guest as well. A fishing boat is moored near the shore in the foreground; two fishermen are taking a break from their work while a boy holding a fish net keeps watch on a fish trap. Right behind the pavilion is anchored a luxuriously decorated boat, suggestin

Drawing, One of Sixteen Scenes of the Death and Burial of a Man; japan watercolor on silk or paper; 1908-17-17

Hanshan and Shide (Kanzan and Jittoku), mid-1500s. Shikibu Terutada (Japanese, active mid-1500s). Fan-shaped painting mounted as hanging scroll; ink and gold on paper; painting: 25 x 49.7 cm (9 13/16 x 19 9/16 in.); mounted: 124.2 x 68.4 cm (48 7/8 x 26 15/16 in.). These three fan-shaped paintings, now mounted as individual hanging scrolls, were once part of a set of 20 mounted on a folding screen. They portray the Chinese subjects, from left to right, of the scholar-official Pan Lang, Hanshan reciting his poetry to Shide, and a duck in flight above reeds. Pan Lang grew so fond of the mountain in his place of exile that when he was ordered back to the capital, he rode backward on his donkey so he could see it until it receded into the distance. Hanshan and Shide worked in the kitchen of a Zen monastery, but were actually reincarnations of the bodhisattvas Manjushri and Samantabhadra. The combination of a mandarin duck and reeds may have signified a level of attainment in Chinese civil

Poppies, early 19th century, Sakai Hōitsu, Japanese, 1761 - 1828, 36 3/4 x 11 3/4 in. (93.35 x 29.85 cm), Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk, Japan, 18th-19th century, Sakai Ho_itsu was a member of a distinguished samurai family. In addition to mastering several martial arts, he also excelled at poetry, Noh dance and tea ceremony. After experimenting with a variety of painting styles, he became intensely interested in the decorative Rinpa school, named after one of its greatest masters, Ogata Ko_rin. Searching out remaining works by Ko_rin, who had died forty-five years before Ho_itsu's birth, he published a woodblock book of Ko_rin's works. Here, Ho_itsu's use of jewel-like pigments and the tarashikomi technique of pooling colors to create a softly mottled effect, continues the style championed by Ko_rin.

Immortals. Honkō Fūgai (Japan, 1779-1847). Japan, 1832. Paintings; screens. Ink, color, and gold paint on paper

Hand-coloured illustration from a Japanese miscellany on traditional trades, crafts and customs in mid-18th century Japan, dated Meiwa Era (1764-1772) Year 6 (c. 1770 CE).

Album of Copies of Chinese Paintings 17th century Kano Tsunenobu Japanese This album, one of a set of two, contains meticulous miniature copies by Kano Tsunenobu of famous Chinese artists' works. Each painting bears an inscription indicating that it was executed in the manner of a specific artist. Although assembled according to subject, the leaves in this album are also paired so that one in color appears on the left and one in ink on the right.. Album of Copies of Chinese Paintings 74462

Horsemen with Dog Unidentified artist Formerly Attributed to Gessen Japanese Ming dynasty

Chinese painting

Hand-coloured illustration from a Japanese miscellany on traditional trades, crafts and customs in mid-18th century Japan, dated Meiwa Era (1764-1772) Year 6 (c. 1770 CE).

Landscape of the Four Seasons. Artist: Attributed to Kano Chokichi (Japanese, active mid-16th century). Culture: Japan. Dimensions: Image (each screen): 59 1/2 in. x 11ft. 12 1/2 in. (151.1 x 356.9 cm)Overall (each screen): 66 1/8 in. x 12 ft. 3 1/2 in. (168 x 374.6 cm). Date: 16th century.Inspired by Chinese landscape scrolls in which the mind travels through time and space along rivers and mountain paths, this monumental landscape transforms an interior into a vast space for imaginary wandering. The quintessential Chinese theme of the scholar-recluse attuned to the natural world and enjoying its unsullied beauty reflected Confucian values and the contemplative bent of Japan's ruling military class. A timeless quality is achieved here by a seasonal progression from spring and summer at right to autumn and winter at left. The elevated tone, strong delineation of forms, and rhythmically patterned brushwork corroborate the work's attribution to the Kano painter Chokichi, who is traditi

A scene of preparation for a Chinese feast. Brush drawing by Chinese artist, ca. 1850.

Fisherman ca. 1350 Wu Zhen Chinese Wu Zhen lived the life of a recluse. He was never very famous or successful during his lifetime, but in the Ming period he came to be designated one of the Four Great Masters of the late Yuan dynasty and his style was favored by many Ming painters, most notably Shen Zhou (1427-1509). Wu was fond of doing "ink-plays," and his drawing shows a cartoonlike simplicity and directness. Accompanying the hermit-fisherman, a symbol of the late Yuan unemployed scholar, Wu Zhen's poetic colophon reads:Red leaves west of the village reflect evening rays,Yellow reeds on a sandy bank cast early moon shadows.Lightly stirring his oar,Thinking of returning home,He puts aside his fishing pole, and will catch no more. Listen to experts illuminate this artwork's story Listen Play or pause #7386. Fisherman Supported by Bloomberg Philanthropies We're sorry, the transcript for this audio track is not available at this time. We are working to make it available as soon as poss

Chiyoda Castle (Album of Men). Artist: Yoshu (Hashimoto) Chikanobu (Japanese, 1838-1912). Culture: Japan. Dimensions: L. (page) 13 7/8 in. (35.2 cm); W. (page) 9 1/4 in. (23.4 cm); thickness of album 1 9/16 in. (4 cm). Date: 1897. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Scene from "The Ivy" (Yadorigi), chapter 49 of the Tale of Genji. Artist: Studio of Tawaraya Sotatsu (Japanese, died ca. 1640). Culture: Japan. Dimensions: 10 x 21 3/4 in. (25.4 x 55.2 cm). Date: early 17th century.This painting is a section of a larger painting, cut from a pair of folding screens that featured scenes from the eleventh-century novel The Tale of Genji. Remounted as a hanging scroll, this scene is from a chapter of the story known as "The Ivy." Kaoru, the son of the novel's main character, Genji, lies in bed, a folding screen shielding him from the evening wind in the hills of Uji. By the faint light of an oil lamp, a maidservant piques the young man's interest with word of a young woman named Ukifune. The bright, thickly applied pigments are considered a hallmark of Sotatsu's studio, to which the painting has traditionally been attributed. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Portrait of couple in embrace by Kitagawa Utamaro II, colour woodcut, circa 1805-1810, -1831, Russia, Moscow, State Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts, 31, 5x21

Women and children in a garden Unidentified artist Women and children gather in an elegant garden setting surrounded by a lotus pond in full blossom. The opening scene centers on a pair of women playing the board game weiqi in a waterside pavilion. Toward the end of the scroll, a second vignette shows a woman readying to play a zither prepared by her attendant. Weiqi and music are two of the four perfections,” a set of abilities considered de rigeur for the scholarly elite. Presumably, the scroll once contained vignettes featuring the other two—calligraphy and painting—that have been lost.. Women and children in a garden. Unidentified artist , 16th or 17th century. China. Handscroll; ink and color on silk. Qing dynasty (1644-1911). Paintings

Chinese Landscape, 1500s. Japan, Muromachi period (1392-1573). One of a pair of six-fold screens; ink and slight color on paper; image: 155.5 x 357.8 cm (61 1/4 x 140 7/8 in.); overall: 171.5 x 373.4 cm (67 1/2 x 147 in.); closed: 171.5 x 63.5 x 11 cm (67 1/2 x 25 x 4 5/16 in.). In a panorama of mountains and expanses of water, three gentlemen have assembled by moonlight to enjoy one anothers company away from a bustling village. An influx of ink paintings from China in both album and scroll formats beginning in the late 1200s inspired Japanese artists to create landscapes based upon Chinese prototypes. Later, Japanese painters adapted the imagery to the larger format of folding screens, which were used to define spaces in large rooms.

Tokyo, Akiyama Buemon, Japan, Toshikata, Mizuno, Kato Kiyomasa oishi korogashite Orankai no kenjo o uchiyaburu zu., Kato Kiyomasa destroying and capturing the palace of Orankai by rolling down a boulder., verso - stamped, General Kato Kiyomasa standing on a rock, looking down at his opponent's palace; in the background his soldiers are rolling a large boulder to the edge of the mountain., print, engraving, triptych, prints, engravings, Japan (collection), height 350 mm, width 707 mm, Japanese, 1866 - 1908, print maker, printmaker, 1895-01 - 1895-01, fourth quarter 19th century, paper, color woodcut, Publication (Event), Publication, publisher

Refreshing storm from the folders, from the series: Eight views of elegant rooms. .

Genji roku no hana 1854 Utagawa Kunisada Japanese. Genji roku no hana 55917

Kitagawa Utamaro (ca. 1753 - October 31, 1806) was a Japanese printmaker and painter, who is considered one of the greatest artists of woodblock prints (ukiyo-e). He is known especially for his masterfully composed studies of women, known as bijinga. He also produced nature studies, particularly illustrated books of insects.

Satsubari, the Second of the Sixteen Arhats. Culture: Japan. Dimensions: Image: 45 11/16 × 19 3/8 in. (116 × 49.2 cm)Overall with mounting: 75 3/8 × 25 7/16 in. (191.5 × 64.6 cm)Overall with knobs: 75 3/8 × 27 1/4 in. (191.5 × 69.2 cm). Date: late 14th century. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Mountain Village in Clearing Mist (one of the Eight Views of the Xiao and Xiang Rivers). Korea, Korean, Joseon Dynasty, early 16th century. Paintings; scrolls. Hanging scroll; ink on silk

Japanese actor by Katsukawa Shunsho, woodcut, watercolor, 1782, 1726-1793, private collection,

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