LACMA

ShopMembershipMyLACMATickets
LACMA
Los Angeles County Museum of Art
5905 Wilshire Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90036
info@lacma.org
(323) 857-6000
Sign up to receive emails
Subscribe
© Museum Associates 2026
  • About LACMA
  • Jobs
  • Host An Event
  • Unframed
  • Press
  • FAQs
  • Log in to MyLACMA
  • Privacy Policy
© Museum Associates 2026
Collections

Kitagawa Utamaro
Picture Book of Selected Insects, vol. I1788

Not on view
Japanese woodblock-printed book spread showing two insects near a nest on the left page and a caterpillar on a flowering vine on the right, with vertical Japanese text
Japanese woodblock-printed book opening; left page depicts flowering plants with large green leaves, small insects including a grasshopper, and a caterpillar above; right page bears vertical columns of Japanese calligraphy with a small insect illustration.
Japanese woodblock-printed book spread; right page depicts pink roses with green leaves and a striped beetle on rocks with golden-brown roots; left page shows gnarled roots with golden highlights and two insects below; vertical columns of cursive Japanese script throughout.
Japanese woodblock-printed book spread depicting pink and red poppies with a white butterfly on the left page and a dragonfly hovering above blooms on the right; delicate line work with soft color washes; vertical columns of Japanese script along the left margin.
Woodblock-printed illustrated book spread showing large taro leaves in pale yellow-green on the left page, with a small caterpillar and mouse among white flowering plants at lower left; the right page displays a single olive-green taro leaf with vertical columns of Japanese cursive script.
Japanese woodblock-printed book opening: left page depicts grasses and broad-leafed plants with small insects in flight against a gray ground; right page bears vertical columns of Japanese cursive script.
Woodblock-printed illustrated book spread; left page shows a grasshopper on a leafy plant with vertical columns of Japanese calligraphy; right page depicts a praying mantis and grasshopper atop a yellow gourd surrounded by broad leaves and seed pods, in soft green and ochre tones.
Japanese woodblock-printed illustrated book opening, two pages showing green corn husks with a beetle and a spider rendered in fine outlines with light color washes; vertical columns of Japanese cursive script on the left page.

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
Japan, 1753-1806
Title
Picture Book of Selected Insects, vol. I
Place Made
Japan
Date Made
1788
Period
Edo period (1603-1868)
Medium
Color woodblock printed book
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.80.219.10a-g
Classification
Books
Collecting Area
Japanese Art