Artwork preview

Picture Book of the Evergreens (Ehon tokiwagusa) 繪本常盤草

Nishikawa Sukenobu 西川祐信

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

The image depicts an open book with two pages featuring illustrations of Japanese-style artwork. The book's cover is not visible, but the pages are yellowed and worn. On the left page, there are three people illustrated. A woman stands on the left side, wearing a brown kimono with a pattern of circles. She faces right toward a man and woman. The man wears a yellow kimono and has his hair pulled back. He faces the woman on the right. She wears a red and blue kimono with a floral pattern. On the right page, there are three people illustrated. A woman stands on the right side, wearing a red kimono with a white and gold floral pattern. She holds a red parasol in her right hand. A man and woman stand in front of her. The man wears a yellow kimono. He faces the woman on the left. She kneels on the floor, wearing a red kimono. Her hair is pulled back into a bun. The background of both pages features a traditional Japanese-style room with sliding doors and tatami mats. The overall atmosphere suggests a scene from everyday life in Japan during the Edo period.

Artwork Details

Date
1731
Medium
Woodblock printed book; ink and hand-coloring on paper
Culture
Japan
Dimensions
599 × 400 px
Public Domain
Yes
Museum Record
View original
Palette

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