Gathering Shells on a Beach

Series TitleShells, a Set of Thirteen for the Fundarige Group

Original Language Title芬陀利華　十三番之内　貝つくし

Artist Totoya Hokkei (Japanese, 1780 - 1850)

CultureJapanese

Dateearly 19th century

MediumWoodblock print (surimono); ink, color, and metallic colorant on paper

DimensionsImage: 8 3/8 × 7 3/16 inches (21.27 × 18.26 cm)
Framed: 16 3/4 × 12 3/4 inches (42.55 × 32.39 cm)

Credit LineAnonymous gift

Object number2024.30.1

On View

Not on view

Collections

East Asian Art

Terms

DescriptionThis is a polychrome surimono woodblock print printed on squarish paper. Three cartouches at the top right read Fundarige (white lotus), jūsanban no uchi (series number thirteen), and kai tsukushi (assortment of shells). The print was created for the Fundarige poet group. Against the backdrop of the landscape at a beach, four figures stand in the foreground. Two figures on the left are women dressed in sumptuous clothes and elaborate hair ornaments. The woman on the left wears a light pink outer robe and light blue obi, and she shows her back. The woman in the middle wears a dark green outer robe and ties her ornate light pink obi on her front. Accompanying them are a man in a gray garment looking down and a boy in reddish brown cloth holding a basket with shells. The waves were printed with metallic pigments. The three poets and their poems are as follows: 旭佑寿方　春の日のなかきも潟に忘れてはかへるしほなくみゆるをとめこ; 旭待兼　汐干潟ちらす地貝や貝桶のふたみか浦にあそふたをやめ; and 旭佐志女　たをやめのひろふ干潟はうつくしきはまくりつまもみゆる芝浦.

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