Surimono: Privately Published Japanese Woodblock Prints

Surimono (literally, "printed things") combine poetry and printmaking in an often complex verbal-visual exchange. Produced largely during the second half of the Edo period, from the late 18th to the early 19th centuries, these privately published, limited-edition prints are extremely rare. Catering to the refined tastes of their literati patrons, surimono allowed higher standards of production.

They were usually commissioned by groups of amateur poets to serve as New Year's greeting cards or as announcements of special events. Thus, the subjects most commonly represented were images of spring, especially scenes of New Year's activities, and auspicious symbols. The production of a surimono represented the collaboration of poets, artists, calligraphers, engravers, and publishers. Prints were generally initiated by a poet who would commission an artist to create a complementary motif or scene. The text and artist's design would then be taken to a private publisher who, working with a calligrapher and engraver, prepared the necessary blocks. The resulting prints were then distributed among the poet's friends and associates.

Surimono produced in Edo were usually printed with one or more kyoka, 31-syllable poems that make extensive use of wordplay. This literary form was revived in Edo in the 1780s as a form of parody of courtly verse. The popularity of kyoka engendered a salon culture involving the most prominent writers, artists, and actors of the time.

Kyoka-surimono have gained a reputation among collectors for their delightful images and exquisite printing techniques. Their soft, fibrous paper, metallic powders, elaborate embossing, and delicate gradations in tonality distinguish them from other woodblock prints. Over time, surimono imagery became more complex and printing techniques more sophisticated. Some of the most beautiful and innovative compositions were created during the first two decades of the 19th century-the golden age of surimono production-represented in this exhibition by celebrated ukiyo-e artists such as Katsushika Hokusai and his three pupils, Yashima Gakutei, Toyota Hokkei, and Ryuryukyo Shinsai.

After the enthusiasm for kyoka composition began to wane in Edo during the mid-1830s, the center of surimono production shifted to Osaka, where artists of the Shijo School created illustrated books and surimono for poetry circles. Most Shijo surimono include haiku (17-syllable verse), which as a rule has a more refined tenor than kyoka and does not rely as much on wordplay or wit. Haiku also invariably includes a seasonal allusion. Shijo surimono designs were accompanied by dozens, sometimes hundreds, of haiku, and thus the artist often simply created a seasonal image that would add to the attractive presentation of poems transcribed by a professional calligrapher. Many Shijo surimono were created by amateurs for whom there is no biographical information. In many ways, Shijo surimono share the aesthetic intentions of haiga.

The surimono in this exhibition were generously lent by the Los Angeles County Museum of Art and Barbara Bowman. Special thanks to Hollis Goodall-Cristante, Assistant Curator of Japanese Art, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, and Joan B. Mirviss, New York, for their help in organizing this exhibition. John T. Carpenter, New York, served as consulting curator.