Woodblock Print
late 19th century (Made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Shoki the Demon Queller was a popular subject with Kawanabe Kyosai. The combination of wildness with the potential humour of this character appealed to Kyosai's own eccentric approach to life. This print shows Shoki in the robes and hat of a Chinese scholar. Clutching a red oni (the oni are demons) in one hand he holds his sword ready to strike the green demon trying to escape from the corner of the picture. The inscription reads 'Pictured by Kyosai the drunken sprite in the cave city'. 'Cave city' is a play on words, for in Japanese it sounds like the word for the Eastern Capital, modern-day Tokyo, where Kyosai worked. He was extremely fond of alcohol, executing many of his most inventive sketches when far from sober.
Object details
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Colour print from woodblocks |
| Brief description | Woodblock print by Kwanabe Kyōsai (1831-1889), Japan, late 19th century. |
| Physical description | Woodblock print. Ōban format, nishiki-e (full-colour print). Figure on plain ground. Shoki was a popular subject with Kyosai as the wildness and humour of his character could be well exploited. This print shows Shoki in the robes and hat of a Chinese scholar. Clutching a red oni in one hand he holds his sword ready to strike the green oni trying to escape from the corner of the picture. The inscription reads "Pictured by Kyosai the drunken sprite in the cave city" "Cave city" is a play on words, as in Japanese it sounds like the word for Eastern Capital, modern day Tokyo, where Kyosai worked. |
| Dimensions |
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| Object history | Purchased from S. M. Franck & Co., accessioned in 1886. This acquisition information reflects that found in the Asia Department registers, as part of a 2022 provenance research project. |
| Summary | Shoki the Demon Queller was a popular subject with Kawanabe Kyosai. The combination of wildness with the potential humour of this character appealed to Kyosai's own eccentric approach to life. This print shows Shoki in the robes and hat of a Chinese scholar. Clutching a red oni (the oni are demons) in one hand he holds his sword ready to strike the green demon trying to escape from the corner of the picture. The inscription reads 'Pictured by Kyosai the drunken sprite in the cave city'. 'Cave city' is a play on words, for in Japanese it sounds like the word for the Eastern Capital, modern-day Tokyo, where Kyosai worked. He was extremely fond of alcohol, executing many of his most inventive sketches when far from sober. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | E.11944-1886 |
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| Record created | February 25, 2003 |
| Record URL |
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