五月幟図|Boy’s Day Carp Streamer and Shōki Banner
Kawanabe Kyōsai 河鍋暁斎
before 1870 · Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk · Asian Art
On Boys’ Day, the fifth day of the fifth month, families displayed carp streamers and images of the demon-queller Shōki, painted in red to protect the household against disease; the rooster symbolizes honesty and fortitude. Kawanabe Kyōsai was renowned for his witty, humorous depictions of people, birds, and animals of all varieties. Once arrested for a caricature mocking the government, he became one of the most popular artists of his day.
- Artist
- Kawanabe Kyōsai 河鍋暁斎
- Date
- before 1870
- Medium
- Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk
- Culture
- Japan
- Department
- Asian Art
- Credit line
- Purchase, Friends of Asian Art Gifts, 2018
