Jul 24, 2014

Basket of Peonies

Basket of Peonies

1810 or 1814

Katsushika Hokusai 葛飾 北斎

(Japanese, 1760–1849)

Color woodblock print; surimono

Sheet: 52.1 x 38.3 cm (20 1/2 x 15 1/16 in.)

Gift of Mrs. Ralph King 1943.5

Location

Description

A surimono is a privately commissioned print used to announce or commemorate a special event. This picture celebrates an event in the life of the actor Ichikawa Danjuro VII, whose emblem was the peony. According to Japanese tradition, the peony–one of the flowers of the four seasons–is the flower of summer.

See also
Collection: 
Japanese Art
Department: 
Japanese Art
Type of artwork: 
Print

Contact us

The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email [email protected].

To request more information about this object, study images, or bibliography, contact the Ingalls Library Reference Desk.

All images and data available through Open Access can be downloaded for free. For images not available through Open Access, a detail image, or any image with a color bar, request a digital file from Image Services.