Artwork

舞楽衣装『春雨集』摺物帖|Costume for Bugaku Court DanceFrom the Spring Rain Collection (Harusame shū), vol. 1

舞楽衣装『春雨集』摺物帖|Costume for Bugaku Court DanceFrom the Spring Rain Collection (Harusame shū), vol. 1 is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Ryūryūkyo Shinsai. It dates from 1818 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This early nineteenth‑century woodblock print, produced around 1818, depicts a costume intended for the Bugaku court dance.

About this work

Overview

This early nineteenth‑century woodblock print, produced around 1818, depicts a costume intended for the Bugaku court dance. It forms the first volume of the Spring Rain Collection (Harusame shū) and is attributed to the Japanese artist Ryūryūkyo Shinsai. The work is part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection.

Subject & Meaning

The image illustrates the elaborate attire worn by performers of Bugaku, the ceremonial dance performed at the Japanese imperial court. By presenting the costume in detail, the print serves both as a visual record of courtly fashion and as a celebration of the ritual’s aesthetic splendor.

Technique & Style

Executed as a surimono, the print combines finely carved woodblocks with hand‑applied ink and pigments on paper. This method allowed for intricate line work and vivid coloration, characteristic of luxury prints made for private circulation among connoisseurs during the Edo period.

History & Provenance

Created by Ryūryūkyo Shinsai, a noted ukiyo‑e artist, the piece entered the Spring Rain Collection, a series of illustrated books documenting courtly subjects. It later entered the holdings of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it remains on view as an example of early nineteenth‑century Japanese printmaking.