THE MONKEY MESSENGER (Kikuchi Yosai)

N.1 ukiyo-e woodblock print
Year: 1892
Condition: fair
Size: 43 x 24 cm

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Description

Woodblock printed illustration made by the artist Kikuchi Yosai (菊池容斎), entitled “Minami Denmacho Festival” (南伝馬町祭礼) and depicting, on the left, a detail of the float of the Minami Denmacho (南伝馬町) neighborhood surmounted by the statue of a monkey, the messenger of the Sanno Gongen (山王権現) shrine, holding a gohei (御幣) ceremonial wand.

The work is taken from issue 19 (巻十九) of Bijutsu Sekai (美術世界), that is “The World of Art”, the famous magazine edited by the nihonga (日本画) painter Watanabe Seitei (渡辺省亭) and produced by the publisher Wada Tokutaro (和田篤太郎) of Shunyodo (春陽堂).

The print, made in September 1892 in collaboration with the carver Goto Tokujiro (五島徳次郎) and the printer Yoshida Ichimatsu (吉田市松), despite the right signs of aging and some color transpositions, is in fair condition.