The Demon Queller Zhong Kui Giving His Sister Away in Marriage
Here, the legendary "demon queller" Zhong Kui leads his sister to her new home accompanied by an escort of demons performing feats of martial prowess. The comic climax to this spectacle is Zhong Kui himself—stone drunk and propped atop a small donkey by three retainers while his sister sits helplessly astride a recalcitrant water buffalo. The painting illustrates a rebus: "marrying off one's sister" (jia mei) is a pun for "subjugating demons."
Yan Geng may have derived inspiration from actual New Year's processions, during which costumed figures impersonating Zhong Kui and his band of demons circulated through neighborhoods and banished evil in return for payment. Paintings on this subject clearly enjoyed widespread appeal, perhaps serving as auspicious gifts for the New Year.
Yan Geng may have derived inspiration from actual New Year's processions, during which costumed figures impersonating Zhong Kui and his band of demons circulated through neighborhoods and banished evil in return for payment. Paintings on this subject clearly enjoyed widespread appeal, perhaps serving as auspicious gifts for the New Year.
Artwork Details
- Title: The Demon Queller Zhong Kui Giving His Sister Away in Marriage
- Artist: Yan Geng (active late 13th century)
- Period: Yuan dynasty (1271–1368)
- Culture: China
- Medium: Handscroll; ink on silk
- Dimensions: Image: 9 5/8 x 99 3/4 in. (24.4 x 253.4 cm)
- Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: Purchase, The Dillon Fund Gift and Rogers Fund, 1990
- Object Number: 1990.134
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art
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ca. 1319
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ca. 1080
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early 12th century
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