Saddle and Other Pieces of Harness 1810

Kubo Shunman created this woodblock print, "Saddle and Other Pieces of Harness," now at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The composition is a striking interplay of shapes and textures, dominated by the robust, saddle form. The saddle is rendered in mottled oranges, while the other pieces create a field of visual complexity through line and form. The print’s composition guides our eyes through a network of cords, geometric textiles, and a softly rendered, abstract backdrop of what may be clouds. Shunman uses the interplay between abstract form and recognizable shapes of harnesses. The careful arrangement challenges our expectations of traditional representation. The saddle becomes more than a mere object; it’s a study in form, inviting us to consider how the interplay of lines and shapes constructs meaning. Note the way the artist disrupts traditional perspective, flattening the image and emphasizing surface patterns. This collapse of depth into a two-dimensional plane is echoed in the ambiguity of the forms, blurring the lines between functionality and representation. This visual ambiguity is a deliberate engagement with poststructuralist ideas, suggesting that meaning is not fixed but emerges from the viewer's interpretation.