Woman Carrying a Bucket

Ryûryûkyo Shinsai (mentioned on object), 1804

Een vrouw draagt een houten emmer waarin ze het eerste water van het nieuwe jaar haalt. Haar emmer is versierd met Nieuwjaarsattributen, zoals varenblad en een gedraaid touw. Naast haar loopt een jongetje met op zijn hand een witte rat, verwijzend naar het jaar van de rat, 1817. Met zes gedichten.

  • Artwork typeprint, surimono
  • Object numberRP-P-1991-587
  • Dimensionsheight 214 mm x width 186 mm
  • Physical characteristicsnishikie, with metallic pigments and blindprinting

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Ryûryûkyo Shinsai (mentioned on object), 1821

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after print by Ryûryûkyo Shinsai (mentioned on object), 1890 - 1900

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Rolls of Fabric

Ryûryûkyo Shinsai (mentioned on object), c. 1820

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Removing Clogged Snow

Ryûryûkyo Shinsai (mentioned on object), 1807

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Courtesan Standing by a Kimono on a Rack

Ryûryûkyo Shinsai (mentioned on object), 1809

Courtesan Standing by a Kimono on a Rack

Dansende courtisane

Ryûryûkyo Shinsai (mentioned on object), 1807

Dansende courtisane

Ryûryûkyo Shinsai

Woman Carrying a Bucket

Japan, Japan, 1804

Provenance

…; purchased from the dealer Boswell Books and Prints, London, by J.H.W. Goslings (1943-2011), Epse, near Deventer, 1986;1Coll. cat. Goslings 1999, p. 47, cat. no. 99 by whom donated to the museum, 1991

Object number: RP-P-1991-587

Credit line: Gift of J.H.W. Goslings, Epse

The artist

Biography

Ryuryukyo Shinsai (n.d., but often given as 1764?-1820; the latter date is definitely incorrect as his last known designs were issued in 1825) is said to have first been follower of Tawaraya Sori, and later of Katsushika Hokusai, who gave him the art-name Shinsai in 1800. His personal name was Masayuki. He was one of the most prolific designers of surimono in the early 19th century and thoroughly explored the possibilities of issuing works in titled series.

Entry

A woman carrying a bucket to draw the first water, wakamizu, of the New Year turns her head to look at the white rat walking on her son's arm. The bucket has twisted straw ropes, shimenawa, ferns, urajiro, and other leaves around it.

The white rat is an obvious reference to the zodiacal sign, making 1804 the most likely date for a design with this layout and of this format - not to be considered as the later shikishiban.

Six poems, the last by Senshuan [II] Kasumi [also Shimotoke, 1761-1811, first a follower of Tsumuri no Hikaru, later a judge of the Asakusagawa, the owner of a bookshop, and a publisher under the name Yamanaka Yosuke].2Kano, Kaian (ed.), Kyoka jinmei jisho (Dictionary of Names of Kyoka Poets). Kyoto: Rinsen shoten, 1977 (1928), p. 103.

Issued by followers of the poet Senshuan [II] Kasumi
Signature reading: Shinsai ga

Literature

M. Forrer, Surimono in the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, Leiden 2013, no. 141

Citation

M. Forrer, 2013, 'Ryûryûkyo Shinsai, Woman Carrying a Bucket, Japan, 1804', in Surimono from the Goslings Collection in the Rijksmuseum, online coll. cat. Amsterdam: https://data.rijksmuseum.nl/200467477

(accessed 11 December 2025 19:51:02).

Footnotes

  • 1Coll. cat. Goslings 1999, p. 47, cat. no. 99
  • 2Kano, Kaian (ed.), Kyoka jinmei jisho (Dictionary of Names of Kyoka Poets). Kyoto: Rinsen shoten, 1977 (1928), p. 103.