{"product_id":"koto-japanese-harp-and-sho-reed-organ-kubo-shunman","title":"Koto (Japanese Harp) and Sho (Reed Organ) - Kubo Shunman","description":"\u003cp\u003eA refined woodblock print by Kubo Shunman featuring a koto and a sho, accompanied by traditional Japanese calligraphy.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis woodblock print by Kubo Shunman belongs to the genre of surimono, which were privately commissioned prints often exchanged among members of poetry circles. Shunman was a prominent figure in the Edo period, known for his refined aesthetic and his dual career as an artist and a writer of kyoka, or comic verse.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe composition features two traditional Japanese musical instruments: a koto, a long zither with thirteen strings, and a sho, a mouth organ consisting of seventeen bamboo pipes. The koto is draped with a patterned textile, adding a decorative element to the arrangement. The placement of the instruments is deliberate, suggesting a quiet moment of musical preparation or the aftermath of a performance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAbove the instruments, the print includes calligraphic text. This is a common feature of surimono, where the visual image and the accompanying poetry are meant to be read together as a unified work. The calligraphy provides context, likely referencing the sounds or the cultural associations of the instruments depicted. The use of space is characteristic of the period, with the objects anchored at the bottom of the page, leaving ample room for the text to breathe.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShunman's work is noted for its subtle colour palette and technical precision. The printing process for surimono often involved expensive techniques, such as embossing or the use of metallic pigments, to create a luxurious finish. This print demonstrates the artist's ability to balance representational accuracy with the requirements of a poetic composition. It offers a glimpse into the sophisticated social and artistic circles of late eighteenth and early nineteenth-century Japan, where music and literature were central to cultural life.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"margin-top:2rem;padding-top:1.5rem;border-top:1px solid #e5e5e5;\"\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"font-size:0.85rem;color:#888;font-weight:600;margin:0 0 0.75rem;text-transform:uppercase;letter-spacing:0.05em;\"\u003eYou might also like\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv style=\"display:flex;flex-wrap:wrap;gap:0.5rem;\"\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/mountains-and-rivers-along-the-kisokaido-utagawa-hiroshige\" style=\"display:inline-block;background:#f8f9fa;border:1px solid #e5e5e5;border-radius:20px;padding:0.35rem 0.85rem;font-size:0.8rem;color:#2a555a;font-weight:500;text-decoration:none !important;background-image:none !important;\"\u003eMountains and Rivers Along the Kisokaidō - Utagawa Hiroshige — Utagawa Hiroshige\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003ca href=\"\/products\/street-performer-in-edo-utagawa-kuniyoshi\" style=\"display:inline-block;background:#f8f9fa;border:1px solid #e5e5e5;border-radius:20px;padding:0.35rem 0.85rem;font-size:0.8rem;color:#2a555a;font-weight:500;text-decoration:none !important;background-image:none !important;\"\u003eStreet Performer in Edo - Utagawa Kuniyoshi — Utagawa Kuniyoshi\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Kubo Shunman","offers":[{"title":"Fine Art Poster \/ Small Square (30x30 cm) \/ -","offer_id":58414229324111,"sku":null,"price":39.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Poster \/ Medium Square (40x40 cm) \/ -","offer_id":58414234239311,"sku":null,"price":49.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Poster \/ Large Square (50x50 cm) \/ -","offer_id":58414234272079,"sku":null,"price":89.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ Small Square (30x30 cm) \/ Black frame","offer_id":58414234304847,"sku":null,"price":119.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ Small Square (30x30 cm) \/ Wood frame","offer_id":58414234337615,"sku":null,"price":119.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ Small Square (30x30 cm) \/ Dark wood frame","offer_id":58414234370383,"sku":null,"price":119.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ Medium Square (40x40 cm) \/ Black frame","offer_id":58414234403151,"sku":null,"price":185.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ Medium Square (40x40 cm) \/ Wood frame","offer_id":58414234435919,"sku":null,"price":185.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ Medium Square (40x40 cm) \/ Dark wood frame","offer_id":58414234468687,"sku":null,"price":185.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ Large Square (50x50 cm) \/ Black frame","offer_id":58414234501455,"sku":null,"price":225.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ Large Square (50x50 cm) \/ Wood frame","offer_id":58414234534223,"sku":null,"price":225.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ Large Square (50x50 cm) \/ Dark wood frame","offer_id":58414234566991,"sku":null,"price":225.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0833\/9292\/1935\/files\/Koto-Japanese-Harp-and-Sho-Reed-Organ-_Poster_CompositorV1_1786119717202.jpg?v=1786120050","url":"https:\/\/www.solisprints.com\/products\/koto-japanese-harp-and-sho-reed-organ-kubo-shunman","provider":"Solis Prints","version":"1.0","type":"link"}