Tickets
English
DonateMembershipTickets

Miniature Inrō with Design of Firewood-laden Boats on Waves

copied from a design by Hon'ami Kōetsu Japanese
19th century
Not on view
The small boats that plied the misty waters of the Uji River often appear in Japanese classical literature as images of rusticity and human vulnerability. They are a potent and recurring motif in the later chapters of the Tale of Genji. This miniature is copied from a design by the Rimpa artist Kōetsu, who took such unmistakable literary references and distilled them into striking forms.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Miniature Inrō with Design of Firewood-laden Boats on Waves
  • Artist: Shibata Zeshin (Japanese, 1807–1891)
  • Artist: copied from a design by Hon'ami Kōetsu (Japanese, 1558–1637)
  • Period: Meiji period (1868–1912)
  • Date: 19th century
  • Culture: Japan
  • Medium: Gold maki-e with mother-of-pearl inlay on black lacquer; netsuke of hardwood with cloisonne
  • Dimensions: H.1 7/8 in. (4.8 cm); W. 1 1/2 in. (3.8 cm)
  • Classification: Inrō
  • Credit Line: Gift of Florence and Herbert Irving, 2015
  • Object Number: 2015.500.2.44
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art

More Artwork

More Artwork
Fans and Flowers, Shibata Zeshin Japanese, Two-panel folding screen; color on silk, Japan
Fans and Flowers
Style of Shibata Zeshin
1868–1912
Armor (<i>Gusoku</i>), Saotome Ietada Japanese, Iron, lacquer, silk, gilt copper, Japanese
Armor (Gusoku)
Armorer Helmet bowl signed Saotome Ietada
Armorer Breastplate inscribed inside, Myōchin Munesuke
16th and 18th centuries
Inrō with Chrysanthemum Blossoms , Three cases; lacquered wood with gold, silver togidashimaki-e; Netsuke: wood with gold; silver maki-e birds; Ojime: cloisonné bead, Japan

Inrō with Chrysanthemum Blossoms

Japan
first half of the19th century
Folding Screen for Tea Ceremony with Six Bird-and-Flower Paintings, Shibata Zeshin Japanese, Two-panel folding screen; lacquer, color, and silver on paper, Japan
Folding Screen for Tea Ceremony with Six Bird-and-Flower Paintings
In the style of Shibata Zeshin
late 19th century
Koto (箏), Various woods, ivory, metal, nylon, tortoiseshell, abalone, lacquerwork, Japanese
Koto (箏)
Japanese
20th century

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 contact us using the form below. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.

Send feedback

Content Notice

The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world, and our online collection reflects ongoing work conducted over the course of our more than 150-year history. You may encounter objects or images that may be inappropriate for some viewers or information that may be outdated.