The Monkey King Sun Wukong

Maker(s)
Artist: Kubo Shunman 窪俊満 (1757-1820)
Historical period(s)
Edo period, 1812
Medium
Ink and color on paper
Dimensions
H x W (overall): 21 x 13.6 cm (8 1/4 x 5 3/8 in)
Geography
Japan
Credit Line
The Anne van Biema Collection
Collection
Arthur M. Sackler Gallery
Accession Number
S2004.3.200
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Print
Type

Woodblock print

Keywords
Anne van Biema collection, cloud, Edo period (1615 - 1868), Japan, king, monkey, poems, surimono
Provenance
Provenance research underway.
Label

The monkey king, Sun Wukong (Japanese, Son Goku), became a popular character in Japan when the Chinese novel Journey to the West (Chinese, Xiyou ji; Japanese, Saiyvki) was translated and published during the Edo period. Accompanying the monk Tripitaka on his journey to India to acquire sutras (sacred texts), Sun Wukong battles a wide range of demons, goblins, enchantresses, and monsters. This surimono, which is also a calendar print for the "monkey" year 1812, shows the monkey king standing on a cloud that can instantly transport him over great distances. In his hand is an iron weapon that can shrink and fit behind his ear. He is also able to transform his fur into a troop of monkeys, shown below, who are cleverly arranged to indicate the long and short months of the year. Two poems read:

As spring arrives
large and small blossoms
of plum burst forth,
while monkeys appear
in a garden of delights.
-Noki no Shiraume

Translation of poems by John T. Carpente

Published References
  • Ann Yonemura, et al. Masterful Illusions: Japanese Prints from the Anne van Biema Collection. Seattle and Washington. cat. no 98, pp. 252-253.
Collection Area(s)
Japanese Art
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
SI Usage Statement

Usage Conditions Apply

There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.

The information presented on this website may be revised and updated at any time as ongoing research progresses or as otherwise warranted. Pending any such revisions and updates, information on this site may be incomplete or inaccurate or may contain typographical errors. Neither the Smithsonian nor its regents, officers, employees, or agents make any representations about the accuracy, reliability, completeness, or timeliness of the information on the site. Use this site and the information provided on it subject to your own judgment. The Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery welcome information that would augment or clarify the ownership history of objects in their collections.

citation | Save this image How to download an image | Request Permission | Terms of Use