Artwork Page for Women in a Tea House

Details / Information for Women in a Tea House

Women in a Tea House

late 1780s

Kubo Shunman 窪 俊満

(Japanese, 1757–1820)
Culture
Japan, Edo period (1615–1868)
Medium
color woodblock print
Measurements
Sheet: 33 x 23 cm (13 x 9 1/16 in.)
Credit Line
Bequest of Edward L. Whittemore 1930.208
Public Domain
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Location
Not on view
Print

Description

This elegant print provides a glimpse into the private life of the courtesan, recording a quiet moment of enjoying tea. Shunman often depicted bijin (beautiful women) in a landscape setting, using subdued color harmonies featuring grays, pale green, and pale purple. In addition to being a printmaker, Shunman was also an accomplished painter, poet, and skilled worker in metal inlay and lacquer.
A vertically oriented color woodblock print depicts three women with light skin tones gathered in a tea house. On our left, a standing woman in a red-patterned kimono holds a kettle. In the center, a woman sits resting her chin on her hand, looking right. On our right, another woman in a striped kimono extends a cup. In the foreground, bowls sit on a tray, while a thatched roof frames the top.

Women in a Tea House

late 1780s

Kubo Shunman

(Japanese, 1757–1820)
Japan, Edo period (1615–1868)

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