The Cleveland Museum of Art
Collection Online as of April 25, 2024
Abacus
1974
(Japanese, 1922–1989)
Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Daniel Verne 1976.142
Location: not on view
Description
Without the title, the abstract forms repeated throughout this composition would have little meaning to Western eyes, but the lozenge shape of the beads strung on the rod of an abacus has been a part of everyday life in Japan for more than a millennium, and would easily be identified in this symbolic guise. The black-and-white pattern further enhances the reference to the mathematical tool, suggestive of the rhythmic clicking of the beads striking one another when they slide into place during calculations.- East Meets West: Tradition and Innovation in Modern Japanese Prints. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (March 19-May 28, 2000).CMA 1977: "Year in Review 1976," Bulletin LXIV (February 1977) cat. #97, p. 76; "East Meets West: Tradition and Innovation in Modern Japanese Prints," CMA, March 19 - May 29, 2000, Galleries 109-110 (permanent collection show, no publication).Cleveland, Ohio: The Cleveland Museum of Art; March 19 - May 28, 2000. "East Meets West: Tradition and Innovation in Modern Japanese Prints."Year in Review, 1976. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (February 1-March 6, 1977).
- {{cite web|title=Abacus|url=false|author=Sekine Yoshio|year=1974|access-date=25 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}
Source URL:
https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1976.142