Artwork
女官図|Court Woman at her Desk with Poem Cards
女官図|Court Woman at her Desk with Poem Cards is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Kubo Shunman. It dates from 1795 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1795 by the Edo‑period artist Kubo Shunman, this surimono woodblock print measures a modest size and is part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection. Executed with ink and subtle color on paper, the work depicts a solitary female figure engaged in a domestic task, rendered with the delicate precision typical of late‑eighteenth‑century Japanese prints.
Subject & Meaning
She is dressed in a long, patterned kimono and a decorative headband, while a small stand holds a folded paper parasol, a book, and assorted tools.
The scene presents a court lady seated at a low writing desk, her hands occupied with needlework or weaving. She is dressed in a long, patterned kimono and a decorative headband, while a small stand holds a folded paper parasol, a book, and assorted tools. A red, geometrically patterned curtain and bamboo‑shuttered window form the background, suggesting an interior of refined, everyday court life. A surrounding Japanese poem reinforces the theme of quiet, cultivated activity.
Technique & Style
Shunman employs fine, intersecting lines to model fabrics and objects, a method akin to cross‑hatching that builds texture without heavy shading. The palette is restrained, using muted blues, greens, and ochres that lend a serene atmosphere. The composition balances negative space with detailed elements, allowing the viewer’s eye to linger on the subtle interplay of light, line, and pattern characteristic of surimono prints intended for private poetry gatherings.
History & Provenance
The print was originally produced as a limited‑edition surimono, a format commissioned for literary societies and special occasions, and would have been distributed among a select audience. It entered the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection through a 20th‑century acquisition, where it remains catalogued as an example of Shunman’s refined approach to courtly genre scenes.
Artist & collection
