Artwork

印籠と牛根付『春雨集』摺物帖|Lacquer Inrō with Waterbirds and Ox-shaped Netsuke in a BoxFrom the Spring Rain Collection (Harusame shū), vol. 3

印籠と牛根付『春雨集』摺物帖|Lacquer Inrō with Waterbirds and Ox-shaped Netsuke in a BoxFrom the Spring Rain Collection (Harusame shū), vol. 3 is an ink print by the Romanticist artist Totoya Hokkei. It dates from 1817 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

About this work

Overview

Totoya Hokkei’s woodblock print, dated around 1817, forms part of the third volume of the Spring Rain Collection (Harusame shū). Executed in ink and color on paper, the image depicts a lacquer inrō placed atop a box, accompanied by a small ox‑shaped netsuke. The composition is rendered in a restrained palette of red, black, beige and brown, emphasizing a quiet, refined atmosphere.

Subject & Meaning

The central inrō bears a decorative motif of two stylized waterbirds surrounded by swirling lines, a common emblem of seasonal change and poetic allusion in Edo‑period art. The accompanying netsuke, shaped like an ox, adds a playful, three‑dimensional counterpoint, suggesting the everyday objects that surrounded the literati who commissioned such prints.

Technique & Style

Created as a surimono, the print was produced for private, often poetic gatherings, allowing for finer carving and richer pigments than commercial ukiyo‑e. Hokkei’s line work is delicate yet precise, while the limited color scheme—muted reds and deep blacks against warm earth tones—enhances the subtle elegance typical of his later work.

History & Provenance

The print entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is catalogued as part of the museum’s Japanese prints holdings. Its inclusion in the Spring Rain Collection links it to a series of collaborative books that combined poetry, calligraphy, and image, circulated among cultured circles in early nineteenth‑century Japan.

Context

During the early 1800s, surimono served as a vehicle for artists like Hokkei to experiment beyond the commercial market. The Spring Rain Collection gathered contributions from several poets and artists, reflecting the era’s interest in seasonal themes and the integration of visual and literary arts within elite social gatherings.