Privately commissioned ukiyo-e prints exchanged as luxury gifts were called surimono.
Surimono were usually ordered by poetry circles, clubs, or wealthy individuals rather than produced for the ordinary commercial market. They often combined a poem with an image and were designed for New Year greetings, commemorations, or other special occasions.
Because patrons paid for unusually fine production, surimono could use expensive papers, metallic pigments, embossing, and subtle color effects. Artists including Katsushika Hokusai, Utagawa Hiroshige, and Utagawa Kunisada designed surimono.
Surimono are sometimes confused with shunga, the term for erotic ukiyo-e, or yakusha-e, actor portraits. Their defining feature is their private, gift-oriented circulation, not a particular subject.