Children Play-acting a Daimyo Procession
ca. 1763
Medium
Woodblock print; ink and color on paper
Dimensions
12 1/8 x 16 1/2 in. (30.8 x 41.9 cm)
Classification
Prints
Culture & Period
Japan · Edo period (1615–1868)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
The Francis Lathrop Collection, Purchase, Frederick C. Hewitt Fund, 1911
Accession Number
JP695
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the vibrant world of Edo-period Japan (1615–1868), Torii Kiyom, a leading figure in the Torii school ukiyo-e printmakers, captured everyday whimsy with masterful skill. This woodblock print from around 1763, *Children Play-acting a Daim Procession*, depicts young boys joyfully mimicking the grand processions of feudal lords (daimyo), complete with elaborate costumes and props. These parades were spectacles of power and hierarchy under the Tokugawaogunate, symbolizing social order in a time of relative peace and booming urban culture. Kiyomitsu's work highlights the playful intersection of ...
About the Artist
Torii Kiyomitsu · 1735–1785
Torii Kiyomitsu (1735–1785) was a leading master of the Japanese ukiyo-e woodblock print tradition and a key figure in the third generation of the celebrated Torii school. Born into an artistic dynasty founded by his ancestor Torii Kiyonobu, Kiyomitsu trained within the family workshop and inherited its deep connections to the Kabuki theater world, for which the Torii school had long designed prom...