Artist: Kawanabe Kyōsai 河鍋 暁斎
Title: Kyosai’s One Hundred Lunacies: Comic Infinite Prayers (Kyosai hyakkyo: Doke hyakumanben)
Kyosai’s One Hundred Lunacies: Comic Infinite Prayers (Kyosai hyakkyo: Doke hyakumanben). This triptych has been described thoroughly by Andreas Marks in “Japanese Woodblock Prints in 200 Masterpieces” (Taschen, 2019), number 163, page 500. The five-armed octopus in the center is believed to represent the five Western powers that forced Japan into unfavorable trade treaties; the US, the Netherlands, Russia England and France. The octopus is encircled by a host of strange beings who are together holding a giant string of prayer beads which they collectively holding and moving along so that the spiritual power may help them to restrain the octopus. The beings surrounding the octopus represent different factions of the shogunal government and the Imperial court, which were at that time not at all united. For instance, Shoki the Demon Queller represents Mito and the dragon-carp-headed figure represents Oari, these being two branches of the Tokugawa shogunate that were against opening up the country to foreigners. The spirits of the Earth Spider and others seem to be watching from the upper right, and every character must have some meaning. Although firmly Japanese, Kyosai’s humor transcends time, geography and politics.
Date: 1864/3
Condition: Excellent impression. Very good color and condition. Some trimming and 2 sheets with minor fold.
Dimensions: 35.2 x 72.3 cm
Publisher: Daikokuya Kinnosuke (Kinjiro) Signature: Kyosai
(on right sheet), Seisei Kyôsai giga (on left sheet)Literature: Marks, Japanese Woodblock Prints in 200 Masterpieces (2019), #163, page 500. Oikawa, Clark & Forrer, Comic Genius: Kawanabe Kyôsai/Kyôsai giga kyôga ten (1996), #117; Clark, Demon of Painting (1993), #75; Ôta Memorial Museum of Art, Utagawa-ha (Kobijutsu special issue, 1986), #347. See also MFA website.
SKU: KSC025S
