The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of December 20, 2025

Women in a Tea House

late 1780s

Kubo Shunman

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

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.
  • (S. H. Mori)
    Edward L. Whittemore
  • Cleveland, Ohio: The Cleveland Museum of Art; December 12, 2004- April 10, 2005. "Visions of Japan: Prints and Paintings from Cleveland Collections".
    The Silver Jubilee Exhibition. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (June 23-September 28, 1941).
  • {{cite web|title=Women in a Tea House|url=false|author=Kubo Shunman|year=late 1780s|access-date=20 December 2025|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1930.208