Kakemono of Monkey, Wine Cup and Potted Plants - Keisai Eisen

A refined Japanese surimono woodblock print by Keisai Eisen, featuring a still life with a monkey scroll, a lacquer wine cup, and a bonsai plant.

This woodblock print by Keisai Eisen belongs to the genre of surimono, which were privately commissioned prints often distributed among members of poetry circles. The composition features a still life arrangement centred on a kakemono (hanging scroll) depicting a small monkey. Beside the scroll sits a shallow, reddish-brown lacquer cup containing pine needles, resting upon a black stand. To the left, a potted bonsai plant in a blue and white ceramic container adds a sense of scale and domestic refinement. The inclusion of calligraphic text at the top suggests this work was produced for a specific social gathering or seasonal celebration, common in the Edo period.

Eisen, a prolific artist of the Ukiyo-e school, demonstrates his technical skill through the precise rendering of the patterned fabric on the scroll and the subtle textures of the ceramic pot. The print employs a balanced, muted colour palette, typical of the refined aesthetic favoured by the literati who commissioned such pieces. The composition is carefully staged, with each object placed to create a harmonious visual dialogue between the natural elements and the man-made vessels. The monkey, a recurring motif in Japanese art, is rendered with soft lines, contrasting with the geometric precision of the lacquerware and the scroll box. This print offers a glimpse into the sophisticated cultural life of nineteenth-century Japan, where art, poetry, and material objects were closely linked in daily practice. The work remains a fine example of the attention to detail and technical mastery achieved by woodblock printers during this period.