Cao Zheng, the Sword Wielding Devil (Sōtōki Sōsei) from the series One Hundred and Eight Heroes of the Popular Water Margin (Tsūzoku Suikoden gōketsu hyakuhachinin no hitori) 「操刀鬼曹正」 『通俗水滸傳濠傑百八人一個』
Kagaya Kichiemon (Seiseido) 加賀屋吉右衛門 (active ca. 1815-1850) Search this
Medium:
Ink and color on paper
Dimensions:
H x W (overall): 37.6 x 25.2 cm (14 13/16 x 9 15/16 in)
Type:
Print
Origin:
Japan
Date:
ca. 1827-30
Period:
Edo period
Label:
In East Asia, the dragon is associated with water and rain, and is also one of the twelve animals of the zodiac. As in Kuniyoshi's vivid and innovative prints of warriors and heroes in the late 1820s and 1830s, this image of a dragon emerging from clouds presents large-scale, dynamic figures whose forms and movement defy the lateral boundaries and surface plane of the print. Kuniyoshi's powerful design, with its limited color scheme dominated by black and gray, recalls a long tradition of Japanese ink paintings of dragons that had begun centuries earlier with the introduction of the subject through Chinese ink paintings imported to Japan.
Collection:
National Museum of Asian Art Collection
Exhibition History:
Masterful Illusions: Japanese Prints from the Anne van Biema Collection (September 15, 2002 to January 9, 2003)
