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Baien

Mirror and Rouge Cup, ca. 1825-27

Description

Maker

Title

Mirror and Rouge Cup

Year

ca. 1825-27

Medium

Polychrome woodblock print with embossing and metallic embellishment

Materials/Techniques

Materials

Techniques

Supports

Dimensions

Length: 21.3 cm (8 3/8 inches)

Place

Japan

Type

Credit

Gift of George Pierce Metcalf

Object Number

56.039.59

Exhibition History

Exhibition History

Surimono from Osaka and Edo

May 23 - October 5, 2008

Three Osaka poets, including Tsurunoya Osamaru (ca. 1751–ca. 1839), utilize spring imagery in combination with references to cosmetics to create intricate connections through the visual imagery of the print. The pine, bamboo, and cranes allude to the lunar New Year that marks the arrival of spring. To evoke
the presence of a beautiful woman, a rouge cup is paired with the mirror on which these symbols appear. Baien is the poet Ki no Tsukunari (d. 1886).

Marking the Occasion

February 3 - May 28, 2006

The spring imagery of the three poems is combined with references to makeup to create intricate connections through the visual imagery of the print. The cranes, turtle, pine, and bamboo all allude to the New Year: pine and bamboo are used as New Year decorations, and cranes and turtles symbolize long life. The lunar New Year marks the arrival of spring and, to evoke the presence of a beautiful woman, a rouge cup is paired with the mirror on which these symbols appear. Baien has been identified as the poet Ki no Tsukunari.

Use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use. This object is in the public domain (CC0 1.0). This object is Mirror and Rouge Cup with the accession number of 56.039.59. To request a higher resolution file, please submit an online request.