Japanese Surimono Prints

Katsushika Hokusai, Fisherman on a Rock

Surimono are a particular kind of Japanese print that were produced during the Edo period (1615-1868). These little prints have been the focus of many exhibitions lately, and for good reason. These are sumptuous, expensive, beautiful, tiny little prints (about 6×6″) that utilize poetry as well as images, and had a specific purpose. Only made in runs of less than a hundred, surimono were sent to friends and acquaintances as new year’s greetings, to show the sender’s refined taste.

They were comissioned by the rich members of poetry clubs, who would send a short poem to a print designer, who would then assist the poet in designing an image to go along with his poem. A calligrapher would write the poem on the design, which would then be sent to a print workshop that would create the print. Thus, all aspects of a surimono were essential to the final product, and the combining of clever, simple poetry along with a masterfully created image would allow its cultured recipient to further contemplate the meaning of the poem.

Almost all of the most famous Japanese printmakers of the Edo period designed surimono, and the image to the left is an example of one by Hokusai. In it, we can see a fisherman perched on a rock; the muted color palette and elegantly written poem at the top right corner show that it is an example of a finely made print.