Untitled
1900
ink
From the collection of Metropolitan Museum of Art
1900
ink
From the collection of Metropolitan Museum of Art
You see two men hunched over a game board, their faces lit by a single paper lantern. This is a *surimono*—a fancy Japanese print made for special occasions, not for sale. The artist carved tiny lines (cross-hatching) to shade the robes and the lantern’s glow. The game they’re playing? Probably *go*, a strategy game that’s been around for centuries. Look up *games* to see how other artists painted people playing them.
