Untitled

As a surimono, the prints were produced for private commissions and often featured elaborate designs. Hokkei employed fine carving and multiple color blocks to achieve intricate patterns on the kimono and the fish’s scales, while the use of ink washes conveys the surrounding sea and atmospheric motion.

The diptych was likely created for a poetry or literary society, a common purpose for surimono in the early nineteenth century. It entered the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection through a mid‑twentieth‑century acquisition, where it remains catalogued as an example of Hokkei’s prolific output.

Totoya Hokkei was a leading disciple of the ukiyo‑e master Hokusai, and his work often blended playful subject matter with technical virtuosity. This piece reflects the period’s fascination with fantastical scenes and the broader Japanese tradition of depicting women in dynamic, sometimes supernatural, settings.