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May, from the series The Twelve Months

May, from the series The Twelve Months

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Kawanabe Kyōsai

Shoki, or the Demon Slayer, was one of Kyosai’s favorite subjects. May is the month of the annual Boys’ Festival, when families with male children traditionally hang images of Shoki to ward off evil spirits. In this famous print, Kyosai has depicted Shoki astraddle a tiger striding across the triptych as demons scatter. The title “MAY” in English script on the right panel is an unusual addition to this work by Kyosai, who was openly critical of Japan’s efforts to Westernize.
Artist
Kawanabe Kyōsai
(Japanese, 1831 - 1889)
Title
May, from the series The Twelve Months
Date
1887
Medium
Color woodcut
Dimensions
365 x 763 mm Image
Credit
John H. Van Vleck Endowment Fund purchase
Accession No.
2004.47a-c
Classification
Prints
Geography
Japan

Related

  • Mueller, Laura. "Competition and Collaboration: Japanese Prints of the Utagawa School." Leiden, The Netherlands: Hotei Publishing, 2007. p. 211, no. 206

  • Utagawa: Masters of the Japanese Print, 1770-1900: Chazen Museum of Art, 11/2/2009–11/26/2009
  • Competition and Collaboration: Japanese Prints of the Utagawa School: Chazen Museum of Art, 11/3/2007–1/6/2008

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