Knife and Two Knife Handles

Kubo Shunman prints show the most refined side of Japanese woodblock art. Shunman was an ukiyo-e artist, poet and novelist in Edo who, after 1790, turned to surimono: small, luxurious prints made privately for poetry clubs. Our collection of fine art prints includes his surimono still lifes of incense boxes, shells and tea utensils, his butterflies and birds, and his tall, graceful beauties.

About Kubo Shunman

Kubo Shunman was born in Edo (now Tokyo) in about 1757 and was orphaned young. He studied first with Katori Nahiko, a poet, scholar and painter, and later with the ukiyo-e master Kitao Shigemasa. Because he was left-handed, he chose art names built on the character for "left", such as Shōsadō.

Shunman was a man of many talents. He wrote popular gesaku novels, comic kyōka poems and haiku, and he was the most prolific painter of the Kitao school, with more than 70 paintings surviving. His best-known prints date from the 1780s and 1790s.

He belonged to the poetry clubs Bakuro-ren and Rokujuen, and became head of Bakuro-ren. In 1790 he stopped designing commercial prints to concentrate on deluxe commissioned prints, and he wrote poems for prints by Hokusai, Utamaro and Eishi. He died in Edo on 26 October 1820.

Style and Subjects

In the 1780s Shunman followed the beni-girai, or "red-hating", fashion, avoiding bright reds in favour of subtle, cool colours. His beauties are long and slender, in the manner of Torii Kiyonaga, but with his own attention to quiet, evocative atmosphere.

His surimono are small and exquisite, often still lifes of precious objects, food, flowers, shells and animals, printed with metallic powders, embossing and fine colour. Each one was made to carry a poem, so word and picture work together.

Famous Works

• The Six Poetic Immortals (1810), Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. A surimono honouring the six great classical poets.
• Mt. Fuji through Pines (c. 1800), Cleveland Museum of Art. The sacred mountain seen through a screen of pines.
• Chinese Beauty (c. 1800), Cleveland Museum of Art. One of his elegant figure prints.
• Tobacco Pouch and Pipe (1813), Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. A still life of a smoker's treasured objects.
• Incense Boxes with a Wrapping Cloth (1808), Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. A luxurious surimono of incense boxes and patterned cloth.
• Butterflies and Moths, from A Flock of Butterflies (Gunchō Gafu). Delicate insects from his painting manual of butterflies.
• Four Girls and a Servant Enjoying Wild Flowers and Butterflies (1787). A summer outing from his Kiyonaga-influenced years.

Decorating with Shunman Prints

Shunman's small surimono still lifes are perfect for a narrow wall, a reading nook, a dressing table or a bedroom. Their soft colours and fine detail reward a close look, so hang them at eye level where they can be studied.

His butterflies and birds suit a light, airy living room or a calm bathroom, and his beauties bring grace to a hallway or bedroom. Use thin black or natural wood frames with a wide mat, in the spirit of Japanese design.

FAQ

Who was Kubo Shunman?

Kubo Shunman (c. 1757–1820) was a Japanese ukiyo-e artist, painter, novelist and poet from Edo, best known for his refined surimono prints.

What is a surimono?

A privately commissioned Japanese woodblock print, usually made for a poetry club, combining a poem with a picture and printed with luxurious techniques.

Why did Shunman use the character for "left" in his names?

Because he was left-handed. His art names Shōsadō and Sashōdō both contain the character sa, meaning "left".

Who were Shunman's teachers?

The poet and painter Katori Nahiko, and the ukiyo-e master Kitao Shigemasa.

Where can I see Shunman's work?

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Cleveland Museum of Art and the Chester Beatty Library in Dublin are among the museums that hold his prints.

Related Artists

• Kitao Shigemasa: his ukiyo-e teacher
• Torii Kiyonaga: whose slender beauties shaped Shunman's figure style
• Katsushika Hokusai: Shunman wrote poems for Hokusai's prints
• Kitagawa Utamaro: another artist whose prints carry Shunman's poems
• Chōbunsai Eishi: ukiyo-e painter of beauties who worked with Shunman's poetry