Competition in Magic Tricks between Hakamadare Yasusuke and Kidōmaru
Artist
Tsukioka Yoshitoshi 月岡 芳年
(Japanese, 1839–1892)
Date1887
Mediumink, color, embossing, and burnishing on paper
DimensionsOban Diptych: 74 × 25.3 cm (29 1/8 × 9 15/16 in.)
ClassificationsPrints
Credit LineAlexander H. Bullock Fund
Object number2005.69
DescriptionThe legendary fighter Kidōmaru was said to have been raised and trained in martial arts by winged mountain goblins known in Japanese lore as tengu. Both Kidōmaru and his opponent Hakamadare were proficient in military and magical techniques––here Kidōmaru bites pine sprigs and makes a ritual hand gesture of concentration as he summons eagles to combat the giant snake conjured by Hakamadare. The accompanying print, annotated by the artist, tells the printer which sections should be printed in which colors, including the desired shading. Such documents rarely survive, so this example helps us to reconstruct the amount of creative control of print designers and the dialogue among the craftspersons involved in their production.Label TextThe legendary fighter Kidōmaru was said to have been raised and trained in martial arts by winged mountain goblins known in Japanese lore as tengu. Both Kidōmaru and his opponent Hakamadare were proficient in military and magical techniques––here Kidōmaru bites pine sprigs and makes a ritual hand gesture of concentration as he summons eagles to combat the giant snake conjured by Hakamadare. The accompanying print, annotated by the artist, tells the printer which sections should be printed in which colors, including the desired shading. Such documents rarely survive, so this example helps us to reconstruct the amount of creative control of print designers and the dialogue among the craftspersons involved in their production.ProvenanceRichard Kruml, London, England
On View
Not on view
