Twelve Months: May
Terms of Use
Usage Conditions ApplyAt A Glance
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Period
1887 -
Geography
Japan -
Material
Ink and color on paper -
Dimension
H x W (triptych): 37.3 x 77.1 cm (14 11/16 x 30 3/8 in) -
Accession Number
S2004.3.319a-c -
EDAN ID
edanmdm:fsg_S2004.3.319a-c
Object Details
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Artist
Kawanabe Kyosai 河鍋暁斎 (1831-1889) -
Label
Astride a tiger, the demon-queller Shoki (Chinese, Zhong Kui) pursues a band of unlucky demons. The title of this print indicates that it might have been intended as one design for a series of twelve triptychs-one for each of the twelve months. Shoki is an appropriate image for May, when the Boys' Festival is held. The inscription repeats the title in English, which was occasionally incorporated into Japanese prints beginning in the 1860s, when consciousness of the world outside Japan, stimulated by the opening of the treaty port of Yokohama near Edo (the center of the publishing industry) made the inclusion of foreign words intriguing to both Japanese and foreign purchasers. -
Collection
National Museum of Asian Art Collection -
Exhibition History
Masterful Illusions: Japanese Prints from the Anne van Biema Collection (September 15, 2002 to January 9, 2003) -
Origin
Japan -
Credit Line
The Anne van Biema Collection -
Type
Print -
Restrictions and Rights
Usage Conditions Apply
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