Shōki the Demon Queller
After Kawai Gyokudō Japanese
Not on view
Shōki (Chinese: Zhong Kui) is a mythical queller of demons. He traditionally appears as a bearded figure in a scholar’s cap and large boots, subduing one or more demonic beings—here a demon scampers across the upper mounting of the painting. The signature includes a cyclical date associated with 1931 and fancifully uses the name of Kawai Gyokudō, a famous painter who was known to paint images of this auspicious subject. Close inspection reveals that the “mounting” is actually part of the painting, executed in a tromp l’oeil manner to replicate a traditional hanging-scroll mounting made from separate pieces of silk. Both Shōki and irises were associated with Boys’ Day, celebrated on the fifth day of the fifth month.
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