Untitled

Unknown

19th century · Paper · Asian Art

The auspiciousness of bats in China is based on wordplay in the Chinese language, which did not carry over to Japan. Nonetheless, bats are found in occasional Japanese contexts, such as the informal crest of the Ichikawa Danjûrô line of Kabuki actors. The bold pattern of this stencil features two freewheeling bats whose eccentric movements are accentuated by the rigid lattice behind them.

Artist

Unknown

Date

19th century

Medium

Paper

Culture

Japan

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Purchase, Mrs. Helen M. Meserve Gift, 1981