Description
Sometimes, in Japan, the beggars assigned to collecting offerings for a temple used to go around carrying, back to back, a statue of Kannon (観音). This custom was repeated for fun by the children who, shouting “Senju Kannon ogande okure!” (千手観音拝んでおくれ ), that is “Praise the thousand-armed Kannon!”, enjoyed reproducing that ancient ritual.
This beautiful woodblock print, made in June 1896 by the artist Miyagawa Shuntei (宮川春汀) and entitled, precisely, “Thousand-armed Kannon” (千手観音), is taken from the series “Customs and Manners of Small Children” (小供風俗) and was printed by the publisher Akiyama Buemon (秋山武右衛門), owner of Kokkeido (滑稽堂).
The print on Japanese washi paper (和 紙), despite some small spots and signs of aging, is in good general conditions.
