Artwork preview

Books and a Bookcase

Keisai Eisen

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

A Japanese-style woodblock print titled "Books and a Bookcase" by Keisai Eisen, depicting a low, two-tiered bookcase with a pinkish-brown finish. The bookcase has a tassel hanging from each side. The top shelf holds a blue pot with a tree, a brown box with a leaf pattern, and a small wooden box. The bottom shelf contains a stack of books with blue and white covers on the left and a stack of books with light-colored covers on the right. A blue book with a brown design lies open on the floor in front of the bookcase. The background is beige with Japanese writing scattered throughout.

Artwork details

Date:
19th century
Medium:
Part of an album of woodblock prints (surimono); ink and color on paper
Culture:
Japan
Dimensions:
540 × 624 px
Museum record:
View original
Palette