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Collections

Kitao Shigemasa
A Mirror of Competing Beauties of the Green Houses1776

Not on view
Hand-colored woodblock print of botanical plants including a yellow chrysanthemum-like flower and pink bell-shaped blooms with broad green leaves, on cream paper
Japanese woodblock print diptych showing four women in elaborate patterned robes seated on floors of interior spaces, engaged in writing and reading activities, with Japanese calligraphy and a framed painting visible in the background; soft pink, red, and gray tones with fine line detail.
Japanese woodblock print, two-page spread with soft pink, green, and gray tones. Left page: two women in patterned robes seated near a low table, landscape with water and trees visible through an open screen. Right page: two standing women in elaborate robes beside a bamboo fence, one holding a round lacquered object. Vertical columns of Japanese calligraphy throughout.
Japanese woodblock print diptych showing four women in elaborately patterned kimonos in interior settings; left panel depicts a standing figure with a kneeling attendant beside a shoji screen; right panel shows two seated figures before a painted screen with blossoming branches; Japanese calligraphy inscribed throughout, with delicate pink, grey, and gold coloring.
Japanese woodblock print, double-page spread showing three women in patterned pink and white kimono on a wooden veranda. Left page: two women kneeling near a small cage beside a garden with bamboo fence and snow-covered stones. Right page: a woman kneeling alone near a shoji screen. Japanese calligraphy appears in both panels, with delicate line work and soft pastel palette.
Japanese woodblock print diptych, two pages showing five women in layered kimono seated on tatami floors. Left page depicts three figures near a painted screen showing Mount Fuji and water; right page shows two figures near shoji screens. Soft pink, green, and gray palette with fine line detail and scattered Japanese cursive text.
Japanese woodblock print book spread with two pages. Left page: three women in layered floral kimono gathered near a railing, with flowering branches. Right page: two women in pink kimono kneeling on a veranda beside a shoji screen, one bending toward a small lacquered box. Columns of Japanese script identify each figure. Soft palette of rose, sage, and cream with fine patterned detail.
Japanese woodblock print spread across two pages, depicting five women in elaborate patterned pink and grey kimono beneath flowering cherry branches; left page shows two figures near a latticed veranda with fallen petals, right page shows three figures on a wooden deck beside a gnarled tree, with Japanese calligraphy throughout.
Japanese woodblock print, double-page spread showing four women in patterned pink and gold kimono in an interior setting. Left page depicts one woman kneeling near a sliding screen with a floral arrangement; right page shows three women grouped together with a small brazier and lacquered box nearby. Columns of Japanese calligraphy throughout, with a cartouche in the upper right corner.
Japanese woodblock-printed book spread, two pages showing four women in pink and white patterned kimono seated on tatami floors in interior settings; left page depicts two figures reading near a decorative folding screen, right page shows two figures with lacquerware and objects on a low platform, with columns of Japanese calligraphy and a boxed title at upper right.
Japanese woodblock print diptych; left page shows two women in patterned pink kimono on a veranda with roosters below, right page shows two women in pink kimono beside a pine tree, with Japanese text inscriptions on each page.
Japanese woodblock print across two pages, depicting irises and marsh grasses growing from the lower corners into open white space, with pink-red blossoms, broad green leaves, and tall slender stems; small Japanese characters at center and right margin.
Japanese woodblock print diptych with soft pink, gray, and green tones; two women in elaborate robes reading and reclining on a floor, surrounded by books and lacquerware; Japanese calligraphy in upper right panel
Japanese woodblock print, two-page spread depicting three women in patterned kimono; left page shows two figures kneeling on a veranda near a pine tree, right page shows a standing figure leaning toward a bamboo arrangement with pink blossoms, Japanese calligraphy in several locations
Japanese woodblock-printed book spread showing three women in layered pink and gray robes on a wooden veranda; left page depicts one figure beside a pine tree with a bird in flight and Japanese calligraphy; right page shows two figures near a hanging red paper lantern and blossoming branch, with columns of Japanese text at upper right.
Japanese woodblock-printed book illustration across two pages, depicting five women in pink and white kimono in an interior setting. Left page shows two women near a koto on tatami, with a garden view through shoji screens. Right page shows three women gathered around a shamisen and lacquerware. Japanese calligraphy and a cartouche at upper right.
Japanese woodblock print, double-page spread depicting three women in patterned kimono on a red-covered platform beneath pine branches; two figures at left examine objects near a brazier, one at right leans forward holding a round fan; Japanese calligraphy visible at upper right and margins; delicate ink lines with salmon-pink, green, and gray wash
Japanese woodblock print, double-page spread showing five women in elaborate pink and patterned kimono in an interior setting. Left page: three figures bent over a lacquered tray near a potted plant by a shoji screen. Right page: two figures, one standing and one kneeling, near a sliding screen with a landscape painting. Japanese calligraphy appears throughout.
Japanese woodblock print, two-page spread depicting three women in patterned kimono with pink accents. Left page: two figures near a latticed structure beneath drooping willow branches, one holding a round fan and birdcage. Right page: a kneeling figure gesturing toward a rushing stream amid grasses and foliage. Columns of Japanese calligraphy throughout.
Woodblock print diptych with soft pink and cream tones; at left, a kneeling woman in a coral kimono arranges flowers beside a vase; at right, two women in layered kimono sit near shelves and a lacquer box, with scattered Japanese calligraphy throughout.
Woodblock print of flowering plants with pale pink blooms and broad green leaves filling the lower left corner against a pale ground; red seal with Chinese characters at lower right.
Japanese woodblock print, double-page spread with two interior scenes. Left: two women in patterned kimono examine a document near shoji screens and potted bamboo. Right: two women in elaborate kimono recline beside a low writing table, with an open book and lacquered box nearby. Columns of Japanese calligraphy and a framed title cartouche appear throughout. Soft pink, orange, and gray tones with fine line detail.
Japanese woodblock print diptych, three women in elaborate patterned kimono in an interior setting with shoji screens. Left panel shows a reclining figure near an open book and lacquered box; right panel shows two figures, one standing and holding a branch. Delicate line work with soft pink and brown tones. Japanese text at upper right and lower margins.
Japanese woodblock print diptych; left panel shows three women in elaborate patterned kimono seated near bamboo with paper poem slips; right panel shows a kneeling woman in patterned kimono facing a screen painted with cranes, with Japanese calligraphy throughout.
Japanese woodblock print diptych depicting four women in patterned red and white kimono in an interior setting; three figures are seated on the left page examining a decorative object, while a fourth seated figure appears on the right page near a doorway with bamboo painting; columns of Japanese text and publisher's marks visible throughout.
Japanese woodblock print double-page spread; left page shows two women in patterned pink and black kimono seated on a veranda overlooking a coastal landscape; right page depicts three women in kimono, one kneeling and reading a letter, with decorative screens and hanging scroll visible; Japanese calligraphy in several locations; delicate line work with soft pink and gray tones.
Japanese woodblock print, double-page spread showing five women and girls in layered robes with pink, coral, and patterned fabric. Left page depicts figures on a raised interior floor; right page shows two figures near a garden with a flowering tree. Columns of Japanese cursive script interspersed throughout.
Japanese woodblock print, double-page spread showing four women in elaborate kimono with red and white patterning, seated on a veranda. Left page depicts two figures near a hanging lantern and garden with a stone basin; right page shows two figures with a small dog amid flowering branches. Japanese calligraphy appears throughout.
Japanese woodblock print, two-page spread: left page shows three women in patterned pink and grey kimono seated on a floor, with columns of Japanese text; right page depicts an ikebana flower arrangement in a square vase with pine branches, flowering stems, and iris, set in an interior with tatami and shoji screen, with Japanese text above.
Japanese woodblock-printed book spread showing two pages: left page depicts two women in layered kimono on a veranda overlooking a garden with a stone lantern and full moon; right page shows two women in patterned kimono near a latticed screen with bamboo, with scattered Japanese text throughout.
Japanese woodblock print, two-page spread depicting five women in patterned pink and gray kimono; left page shows two figures seated near a brazier with a bowl, right page shows three standing figures before bamboo and a garden veranda, with columns of Japanese calligraphy throughout.
Japanese woodblock-printed book opening across two pages, depicting women in patterned robes. Left page shows a standing figure in an outdoor garden setting; right page shows three figures in an interior with bamboo visible through a latticed window. Soft pink, brown, and cream tones with scattered columns of Japanese calligraphy throughout.
Japanese woodblock printed book spread showing two scenes: at left, two women in patterned kimonos seated before bamboo; at right, a standing woman in a black kimono with fan near a railing, autumn maple branches above. Vertical columns of cursive Japanese script throughout.
Japanese woodblock-printed book opening across two pages; left page depicts chrysanthemum plants with lobed leaves and spidery blooms in muted green ink, rendered with fine lines; right page is largely blank with sparse grass blades and two Chinese characters in the lower right margin.
Japanese woodblock print, two-page spread. Left page: two women in layered pink and gray kimono with geometric and floral patterns stand near a window, pine tree visible below. Right page: a seated woman in pink kimono leans over a lacquered box, with a decorative screen and garden scenery behind her. Vertical columns of Japanese calligraphy appear on both pages.
Japanese woodblock print, double-page spread with pink and gray tones; left page shows two women in layered kimono near a pine tree, right page shows a seated woman in pink kimono examining an object, with a garden visible through an open window; columns of Japanese calligraphy throughout
Woodblock-printed book spread showing four women in elaborately patterned kimono with pink and gray tones; left page depicts two figures on a veranda with a lantern, right page shows two figures outdoors beneath oil-paper umbrellas beside a snow-covered pine, with Japanese calligraphy throughout
Woodblock-printed book spread showing two interior scenes with women in elaborate patterned kimono. Left page: two figures near a decorative screen with landscape motif and an open book with calligraphy. Right page: two figures seated on tatami, with a cylindrical lantern, small objects, and a folding screen painted with chrysanthemums. Japanese text in columns at upper corners and margins. Soft pink, gray, and black ink palette.
Japanese woodblock-printed book spread across two pages. Left page: three women in elaborate patterned kimono gathered around a large brazier, with a decorative screen depicting birds and blossoming branches behind them. Right page: a woman in a dark floral-patterned kimono stands on a veranda overlooking a miniature landscape garden, diagonal rain lines in the upper background. Vertical columns of Japanese script appear throughout.
Japanese woodblock-printed book spread, two pages depicting four women in red and white patterned kimono playing a card game on the floor, surrounded by small cards and lacquered boxes; shoji screens and a wave-pattern screen visible in the background; vertical columns of Japanese script at upper right and throughout.
Japanese woodblock print, two-page spread showing three women in elaborately patterned robes. Left page: two figures seated near a large basin, one leaning over it. Right page: a seated figure at a low table with writing implements. Columns of Japanese calligraphy at left and upper right; red lacquer furniture and household objects throughout.
Woodblock print book spread with two scenes; left: a woman in pink patterned kimono kneeling beside a stone water basin and bamboo plants indoors; right: two women in elaborate patterned kimono standing near a latticed screen, with columns of Japanese calligraphy throughout.
Woodblock-printed book spread depicting five women in elaborate kimono with pink and gray patterned robes and ornate hair accessories, shown across two pages; left page features two figures near a latticed fence and stone lantern, right page shows three figures beside a large red torii gate; vertical columns of Japanese calligraphy throughout.
Japanese woodblock-printed book spread showing two pages: left page depicts two women in patterned kimono on a veranda overlooking a coastal landscape with Mount Fuji; right page shows two women in kimono reclining in an interior space. Columns of Japanese cursive script appear on both pages, with a title cartouche at upper right.
Japanese woodblock print, two-page spread with pink, black, and gray tones. Left page: two women in patterned kimono seated on a floor, a folding screen with chrysanthemums behind them and a bowl nearby. Right page: a woman in kimono kneeling beside a lacquered tray with tea utensils, a stacked container at right. Japanese calligraphy in several locations including upper right cartouche.
Japanese woodblock print depicting the exterior corner of a wooden building with a tiled roof, beside a stacked arrangement of cylindrical containers in a barrel, with a sign bearing Japanese calligraphy leaning against them.
Japanese woodblock print diptych; left sheet shows a woman in patterned kimono seated on a raised platform with small vessels; right sheet depicts three women in layered robes gathered around a brazier, with blossoming branches overhead and vertical columns of Japanese calligraphy throughout.
Japanese woodblock print diptych with pink and gray ink; left panel shows three women in elaborate patterned kimono on a veranda, right panel shows a single woman in geometric-patterned kimono near a lantern and flowering shrub, with Japanese calligraphy throughout.
Japanese woodblock print diptych depicting five women in elaborate patterned kimono with coral, pink, and white tones. Left sheet shows two figures near a latticed interior; right sheet shows three figures in procession before a similar architectural setting. Vertical columns of Japanese calligraphy appear on both sheets.

Katsukawa Shunshō, Kitao Shigemasa, A Mirror of Competing Beauties of the Green Houses, 1776, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Gift of Caroline and Jarred Morse, photo © Museum Associates/LACMA

Artist or Maker
Kitao Shigemasa
Artist or Maker
Katsukawa Shunshō
Title
A Mirror of Competing Beauties of the Green Houses
Place Made
Japan
Date Made
1776
Period
Edo period (1603-1868)
Medium
Color woodblock print books; three volumes
Dimensions
Each: 11 1/8 x 7 3/8 x 3/8 in. (28.6 x 18.8 x 1.3 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Caroline and Jarred Morse
Accession Number
M.80.219.7-.9
Classification
Books
Collecting Area
Japanese Art