鳥獣戯画の場面|Scene Inspired by the Scrolls of Frolicking Animals and Humans
1890s
Medium
Hanging scroll; ink and color on satin
Dimensions
Image: 26 5/8 × 23 1/4 in. (67.6 × 59 cm) Overall with mounting: 63 15/16 × 29 1/2 in. (162.4 × 75 cm)
Classification
Paintings
Culture & Period
Japan · Meiji Period (1868–1912)
Department
Asian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Terry Welch and Steve Shanaman, 2020
Accession Number
2020.93
Art Historical Context
In the late 1890s, during Japan's transformative Meiji Period (1868–1912), artist Tomioka Tessai1837–1924) created this vibrant *Scene Inspired by the Scrolls of Frolicking Animals and Humans*. A master of *nanga* (Southern School) literati painting, Tessai drew inspiration from the iconic 12th-century *Chjū-giga* (Scrolls of Frolick Animals), medieval handscrolls famous for their whimsical anthropomorphic creatures engaging in human-like antics. Tessai's rendition captures this playful spirit on a luxurious hanging scroll of ink and color on satin, a traditional format prized for its portabil...