Kawanabe Kyōsai: Fun print with Demon (Sold)

Artist: Kawanabe Kyōsai
Title: Fun print with Demon
Series: Kyosai Manga
Date: 1864/4th month

Humorous print comprised of three smaller scenes. Top left, we see an elderly scholar contentedly admiring a Buddhist hanging scroll as he enjoys his tea. Lower left we see two of the lucky gods falling off of a ladder, spilling a bucket of water in the meantime. On the right we see a courtesan grasping a wisteria vine by standing on the back of a crouching demon. According to “Comic Genius; Kawanabe Kyosai”, the success of this series made Kyosai popular as an ukiyo-e artist. Due to the harimaze format, it is also written that Japanese of the time would cut up the prints and use them to patch holes in their shoji screens. It is not known how many designs were published, or in how many editions. This may be from a second edition, as the title is absent from the top of the page.

Condition: Very good impression, color and condition.
Dimensions: ôban
Publisher: Tsujiokaya Bunsuke
Literature: See “Comic Genius: Kawanabe Kyosai” (1996), numbers 123-131.
Signature: Kyosai

SKU: KYO036