Shibata Zeshin - Autumn Grasses in Moonlight, 1872

 

Shibata Zeshin - Autumn Grasses in Moonlight, detail, 1872
18 in. × 33 1/4 in. (45.7 × 84.5 cm)
The Metropolitan Museum of Art

In Japan, gazing at the moon and listening to the sounds of insects have long been tranquil ways to spend an autumn evening. Seen from a low vantage point, the full moon illuminates the unseen world in a tangle of autumn grasses, where various types of crickets are highlighted with shiny lacquer pigment. The silver background further enriches the dreamlike atmosphere. This small screen is of a type used at tea gatherings. via