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Collections

Kitagawa Utamaro
Picture Book of Selected Insects1788

Not on view
Woodblock-printed book spread with two insects near a nest on the left page and a caterpillar on a leafy plant on the right, with vertical Japanese text
Japanese woodblock-printed illustrated book opening; left page depicts flowering plants with deep green leaves, mauve blossoms, and two grasshoppers rendered in fine detail; right page bears vertical columns of Japanese cursive script.
Japanese woodblock-printed book spread showing pink roses with green leaves and a striped beetle on rocks at right, alongside mole crickets on a gray weathered root at left, with vertical columns of Japanese cursive script.
Japanese woodblock-printed book open to two pages depicting poppies, a white butterfly, and a dragonfly in soft pink, red, and pale green; vertical columns of Japanese calligraphy on the left page
Woodblock-printed illustrated book open to two pages: left page depicts large taro leaves in pale yellow-green with a small caterpillar on a stem and white flowering plants below; right page shows a single large olive-green leaf with prominent veining, accompanied by vertical columns of Japanese cursive script.
Japanese woodblock-printed book open to two pages: left page depicts grasses and broad-leafed plants with small insects in flight against a gray ground; right page contains vertical columns of Japanese cursive script.
Japanese woodblock-printed illustrated book, open to two pages; left page shows a grasshopper on a leafy plant with vertical columns of cursive Japanese script; right page depicts two grasshoppers among soybean pods, broad leaves, and a golden gourd, rendered in soft green and ochre tones.
Woodblock-printed illustrated book opening, showing pale green corn husks and silks spread across both pages, with two insects resting on the leaves; columns of Japanese cursive script at left.
Japanese woodblock-printed book opening, left page showing a red dragonfly perched on bamboo stalks with vertical columns of Japanese calligraphy; right page depicting orange carnations and bell-shaped flowers with a grasshopper above, in soft polychrome ink.
Japanese woodblock-printed book spread depicting a striped snake weaving through green foliage on the left page, and a lizard perched on a leafy plant on the right, with columns of Japanese cursive script throughout.
Japanese woodblock-printed book opening: left page shows a leafy branch with pink blossoms and vertical columns of Japanese calligraphy; right page depicts a dark beetle on broad green leaves beside a tall flowering plant with bell-shaped blooms, rendered in soft green and pink washes.
Japanese woodblock-printed book opening; left page depicts a dark eggplant with a grasshopper perched on top, surrounded by green leaves and pale pink blossoms; right page shows a snail on a flowering vine with vertical columns of Japanese calligraphy.
Japanese woodblock-printed book opening showing a botanical illustration across two pages: green vine leaves with tendrils on the left, and on the right, yellow flowers and broad leaves with an elongated hanging gourd split open to reveal a cicada inside; vertical columns of Japanese calligraphy on the left page.
Japanese woodblock-printed book spread, with rounded green leaves and delicate pink flowering stems in the lower right, a small insect perched among the foliage, and vertical columns of Japanese cursive script on the left page.
Woodblock-printed illustrated book opening; left page shows a large green lotus leaf with veining and a small beetle, above scattered lily pads and pond plants; right page depicts a green frog mid-stride beside columns of Japanese cursive script.
Textile fragment with dense all-over floral and foliate pattern in dark green and black, with worn and fraying edges revealing gold-colored threads beneath.

Kitagawa Utamaro, Picture Book of Selected Insects, vol. I, 1788, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Gift of Caroline and Jarred Morse, photo © Museum Associates/LACMA

Artist or Maker
Kitagawa Utamaro
Title
Picture Book of Selected Insects
Place Made
Japan
Date Made
1788
Period
Edo period (1603-1868)
Medium
Set of two color woodblock printed books with brocade cover
Dimensions
Each: 10 5/8 x 7 1/4 x 1/4 in. (26.9 x 18.4 x 0.6 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Caroline and Jarred Morse
Accession Number
M.80.219.10-.12
Classification
Books
Collecting Area
Japanese Art