{"product_id":"bonsai-plum-compass-and-pocket-sundial-ryuryukyo-shinsai","title":"Bonsai Plum, Compass, and Pocket Sundial - Ryūryūkyo Shinsai","description":"\u003cp\u003eA refined Ukiyo-e woodblock print featuring a bonsai plum tree, a calendar, and navigational instruments, from the Spring Rain Surimono Album.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis woodblock print by Ryūryūkyo Shinsai belongs to the 'Spring Rain Surimono Album' (Harusame surimono-jō), a collection of private commissions produced for members of poetry circles in Edo-period Japan. Surimono prints were luxury items, often printed on high-quality paper with sophisticated techniques such as embossing or metallic pigments, intended for a discerning audience of literati.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe composition presents a still life arrangement of objects associated with the passage of time and the arrival of spring. A bonsai plum tree, its branches dotted with small red blossoms, sits in a blue-and-white spotted ceramic pot upon a lacquered stand. Beside it, a calendar sheet is laid out, accompanied by a compass and a pocket sundial. These items suggest a preoccupation with the measurement of time and the seasonal cycles that governed both agricultural life and poetic expression in the period.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eShinsai, a student of Katsushika Hokusai, demonstrates a refined approach to line and colour. The print avoids the dramatic flair of commercial theatre prints, opting instead for a quiet, intellectual aesthetic. The inclusion of calligraphic text, which integrates the visual elements with the literary content of the album, is typical of the surimono format. The palette is restrained, relying on soft tones to create a sense of balance and harmony. The arrangement of the objects on the page is deliberate, creating a sense of space that allows each element to be examined individually. This work offers a glimpse into the private cultural life of the Edo elite, where the appreciation of nature and the precision of scientific instruments were held in equal regard.\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\/a-merry-evening-party-kitagawa-utamaro\" 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;\"\u003eA Merry Evening Party - Kitagawa Utamaro — Kitagawa Utamaro\u003c\/a\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Ryūryūkyo Shinsai","offers":[{"title":"Fine Art Poster \/ A4 (21x29.7 cm) \/ -","offer_id":58455812833615,"sku":null,"price":28.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Poster \/ A3 (29.7 x 42  cm) \/ -","offer_id":58455827939663,"sku":null,"price":35.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Poster \/ A2 (42 x 59.4  cm) \/ -","offer_id":58455827972431,"sku":null,"price":45.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A4 (21x29.7 cm) \/ Black frame","offer_id":58455828005199,"sku":null,"price":45.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A4 (21x29.7 cm) \/ Wood frame","offer_id":58455828037967,"sku":null,"price":45.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A4 (21x29.7 cm) \/ Dark wood frame","offer_id":58455828070735,"sku":null,"price":45.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A3 (29.7 x 42  cm) \/ Black frame","offer_id":58455828103503,"sku":null,"price":60.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A3 (29.7 x 42  cm) \/ Wood frame","offer_id":58455828136271,"sku":null,"price":60.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A3 (29.7 x 42  cm) \/ Dark wood frame","offer_id":58455828169039,"sku":null,"price":60.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A2 (42 x 59.4  cm) \/ Black frame","offer_id":58455828201807,"sku":null,"price":90.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A2 (42 x 59.4  cm) \/ Wood frame","offer_id":58455828234575,"sku":null,"price":90.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true},{"title":"Fine Art Framed \/ A2 (42 x 59.4  cm) \/ Dark wood frame","offer_id":58455828267343,"sku":null,"price":90.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0833\/9292\/1935\/files\/Bonsai-Plum-Compass-and-Pocket-Sundial_Poster_CompositorV1_1786250823682.jpg?v=1786492549","url":"https:\/\/www.solisprints.co.uk\/products\/bonsai-plum-compass-and-pocket-sundial-ryuryukyo-shinsai","provider":"Solis Prints","version":"1.0","type":"link"}