Surimono: Poetry & Image in Japanese Prints

By Charlotte Van Rappard-Boon and Lee Bruschke-Johnson

Surimono (lit. 'printed object') are privately published prints inscribed with a dedication or poem that reflects upon everyday themes. This catalogue includes more than 150 illustrations of prints drawn from the splendid Amsterdam Rijksmuseum collection. It also contains in-depth essays discussing the history of surimono and the subjects depicted in the prints, which incorporate seasonal references and classical themes. Most of the poems on the selected prints have been translated into English. This publication is an important reference work in the study of surimono.
Surimono-Poetry and Image in Japanese Prints accompanied an exhibition held at the Amsterdam Rijksmuseum in 2001.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 9074822347
• ISBN13: 9789074822343
• Release Date: January 2001
• Publisher: Brill | Hotei
• Length: 195 Pages
• Weight: 2.66 lbs.
• Dimensions: 11.3" x 0.8" x 9.8"

Customer Reviews

A beautifully done book!

This is a catalogue which accompanied a surimono exhibition in Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam in 2001. Scrumptiously illustrated w/ full pane reproductions of "poetic" woodblock prints, the book offers readers a taste of still-not-so-well-known niche of Japanese woodblock prints. Combining a woodblock print with a single or multiple poems, often commissioned by a poetry club, these 200-years old prints were not made available commercially to the public, but paint a vivid portraits of Japanese life of long ago. To my pleasant surprise, a very few of the prints are reproduced in other surimono books or catalogues. Translations and explanations of the poems accompanying the prints are provided to give further insights into the relationship that exists between the two art media. This must have been a difficult undertaking given the complexity and nuances of the Japanese language which can have multiple meanings for a single phrase or a set of words. Of a particular interest is Chapter 4 (Classical Themes through the Prism of the "Floating World"). This chapter contains surimono that depicts some of the historical figures of China and Japan - a departure from the usual themes covered by surimono and it's a welcome addition to the book. In all, a superb publication, once again, by the Hotei Publishing people. You will not be disappointed. VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.