Two Women Playing with a Child

Ryûryûkyo Shinsai (mentioned on object), 1807

Twee vrouwen en een jongetje, één trekt de hoofddoek van het kind omhoog om twee oren van een haas na te bootsen. Met één gedicht: Met trekken en uitrekken, krijgt de kap van de jongen net zulke lange oren als die van de lente van het nieuwe jaar.

  • Artwork typeprint
  • Object numberRP-P-1991-677
  • Dimensionsheight 208 mm x width 130 mm
  • Physical characteristicsnishikie, with metallic pigments and blindprinting

Discover more

"adult woman (+ two persons)" by Ryûryûkyo Shinsai

Repairing a Kimono

Ryûryûkyo Shinsai (mentioned on object), 1809

Repairing a Kimono

A Shrine Visit

Ryûryûkyo Shinsai (mentioned on object), 1809

A Shrine Visit

Chopping Herbs

Ryûryûkyo Shinsai (mentioned on object), 1809

Chopping Herbs

more by Ryûryûkyo Shinsai

Fish and Shells

Ryûryûkyo Shinsai (mentioned on object), 1821

Fish and Shells

Figuren bij vijver met bloesem

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

Figuren bij vijver met bloesem

Rolls of Fabric

Ryûryûkyo Shinsai (mentioned on object), c. 1820

Rolls of Fabric

Removing Clogged Snow

Ryûryûkyo Shinsai (mentioned on object), 1807

Removing Clogged Snow

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

Two Women Playing with a Child

Japan, Japan, 1807

Provenance

…; purchased from the dealer Hotei Japanese Prints, Leiden, by J.H.W. Goslings (1943-2011), Epse, near Deventer, 1991;1Coll. cat. Goslings 1999, p. 41, cat. no. 84 by whom donated to the museum, 1991

Object number: RP-P-1991-677

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

Two women playing with a young boy. One of them stands behind him and pulls up his headscarf so that it resembles the ears of a hare; the other kneels before him and holds up a small mortar, which he pounds with a pestle.

The elements included in this print obviously refer to the legend of the hare that lives on the moon, pounding the Elixir of Long Life.

One poem, by Nezame [Yasuki], which inspired the designer to create a literal interpretation, reads:

Pulling and stretching, the boy's hood gets ears as long as this New Hare Year's Spring.

Issued by the poet
Signature reading: Shinsai ga

Literature

M. Forrer, Surimono in the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam, Leiden 2013, no. 144

Citation

M. Forrer, 2013, 'Ryûryûkyo Shinsai, Two Women Playing with a Child, Japan, 1807', in Surimono from the Goslings Collection in the Rijksmuseum, online coll. cat. Amsterdam: https://data.rijksmuseum.nl/200415817

(accessed 19 December 2025 12:42:37).

Footnotes

  • 1Coll. cat. Goslings 1999, p. 41, cat. no. 84