Hototogisu
A hototogisu, a Japanese variety of cuckoo, descends in flight against the backdrop of a full moon emerging from a bank of clouds. The painting encapsulates the atmosphere of an evening whose silence broken by the song of the hototogisu, a visual and literary metaphor celebrated in Japan since ancient times—often referring to the sad departure of a male lover after a nocturnal tryst. Filling the blank spaces on the silk is an assortment of poetic inscriptions by associates of the artist, men of letters of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century. Numerous collaborative works of this type exist from the era, often executed in this particular format, with kyōka (popular, often witty or playful verses) poems accompanying a small image. Horizontal bands of ink and light color contribute to the evocative quality of the painting.
Kubo Shunman, a kyōka master as well as a painter and a designer of woodblock prints, lived and worked in Edo (Tokyo), where he studied ukiyo-e painting, composed poetry under various names, produced woodblock prints for book illustrations, and gained renown for his witty, sometimes satirical verse. This hanging scroll is evidence of his activity in the lively kyōka poetry circles of Edo sophisticates and literary men of his day.
Kubo Shunman, a kyōka master as well as a painter and a designer of woodblock prints, lived and worked in Edo (Tokyo), where he studied ukiyo-e painting, composed poetry under various names, produced woodblock prints for book illustrations, and gained renown for his witty, sometimes satirical verse. This hanging scroll is evidence of his activity in the lively kyōka poetry circles of Edo sophisticates and literary men of his day.
Artwork Details
- 窪俊満筆 大田南畝賛 石川雅望賛 浅草庵市人賛 四方真顔賛 時鳥図
- Title: Hototogisu
- Artist: Kubo Shunman (Japanese, 1757–1820)
- Calligrapher: Ōta Nanpo (Japanese, 1749–1823)
- Calligrapher: Rokujuen 六樹園 (1753–1830)
- Calligrapher: Asakusaan Ichindo (Japanese, 1755–1820)
- Calligrapher: Yomo Magao (Japanese, 1753–1829)
- Period: Edo period (1615–1868)
- Date: early 19th century
- Culture: Japan
- Medium: Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk
- Dimensions: Image: 36 1/16 × 11 7/8 in. (91.6 × 30.2 cm)
Overall with mounting: 72 1/4 × 19 3/16 in. (183.5 × 48.8 cm) - Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: Mary and Cheney Cowles Collection, Gift of Mary and Cheney Cowles, 2019
- Object Number: 2019.420.28
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Kubo Shunman
19th century
Kubo Shunman
19th century
Kubo Shunman
ca. 1810s
Kubo Shunman
1795 (Year of the Rabbit)
Kubo Shunman
1798
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.