Kyōka Verse Album on the Scales of the Carp - Totoya Hokkei

A refined woodblock print by Totoya Hokkei depicting a scholarly gathering of poets, characteristic of the Edo period surimono tradition.

This woodblock print originates from the Kyōka ririnshū, an album dedicated to kyōka, a form of comic verse popular among the literati and merchant classes during the Edo period. Totoya Hokkei, a student of Katsushika Hokusai, produced this work in the surimono style. Surimono were privately commissioned prints, often distributed among members of poetry clubs to celebrate special occasions or literary gatherings.

The composition depicts a group of men engaged in a scholarly pursuit, likely a poetry meeting. The figures are rendered with clean, economical lines, characteristic of Hokkei's approach to the human form. They are seated on tatami mats, surrounded by the tools of their trade, including writing brushes, ink stones, and paper. The scene captures a quiet, focused atmosphere, typical of the intellectual social life of the era. The inclusion of calligraphy surrounding the figures integrates the visual and the textual, a hallmark of the surimono tradition where the poem and the image function as a unified whole.

The colour palette is restrained, relying on soft blues, muted greys, and warm paper tones to create a sense of harmony. The lack of heavy shading or complex perspective keeps the focus on the interaction between the figures and the poetic text. This print offers a glimpse into the cultural habits of nineteenth-century Japan, where art and literature were deeply intertwined in daily social practice. As a piece of ephemera, it reflects the high level of craftsmanship applied even to works intended for limited circulation among private circles. The print demonstrates the technical precision of the woodblock medium, with fine lines preserved through careful carving and printing processes.