Lacquer Paintings of Various Subjects: Butterflies

dated 1881
Not on view
The strong color effect seen in this album is achieved by using lacquer as a painting medium. Painting with lacquer on paper was one of the techniques Zeshin developed into his own style. Despite the heavy material, Zeshin's skillful brushwork and his technical inventions with the material made it possible to create various textures as with ink painting. In addition, some lacquer techniques, like mother-of-pearl inlays and the creation of rough surfaces, are also used. Up until the middle of the Meiji period, lacquer was limited to roughly five colors—black, brown, vermillion, green, and yellow—which determined the color palette of Zeshin's lacquer paintings.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Lacquer Paintings of Various Subjects: Butterflies
  • Artist: Shibata Zeshin (Japanese, 1807–1891)
  • Period: Meiji period (1868–1912)
  • Date: dated 1881
  • Culture: Japan
  • Medium: Lacquer and mother-of-pearl fragments
  • Dimensions: 7 1/2 x 6 1/2 in. (19.1 x 16.5 cm)
  • Classification: Paintings
  • Credit Line: The Howard Mansfield Collection, Purchase, Rogers Fund, 1936
  • Object Number: 36.100.111
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art

More Artwork

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.