Chinese musicians

Ike no Taiga (1723-1776)

Item type:

painting

Date of creation:

18th century

Height:

118.9 cm  (46 13/16 in.)

Width:

27.2 cm  (10 11/16 in.)

overall mounting, including roller ends and suspension cord: H. 198.8 × W. 50 cm (78 1/4 × 19 11/16 in.)

Technique / Medium:

ink and light color on paper

Place of creation:

Nihon [Japan] (日本国)

School:

Edo period

Description

This hanging scroll presents a line of musicians with instruments, including ryuteki, woodblock, biwa, sho, koto, and shamisen.
Gallery Text from museum website:
Taiga was one of the most accomplished of Japan’s early literati painters. Chinese Musicians is a virtuosic early work that retains traces of the lively context in which it was created: the texture of the markings reveals that the paper on which it was brushed was laid and painted on a tatami floor mat, suggesting the work was improvised in front of friends at a party. Close examination reveals that Taiga painted it by inking his fingertips and nails, an eccentric act that surely increased the drama of his performance.

Iconclass

48CC753
more than one musician with instrument

Instruments [MIMO Code] (notes)

Ryuteki [4042]
Woodblock [5700]
Biwa [3325]
Sho [4159]
Koto [3668]
Shamisen [3451]

RIdIM images

Image URLs

image link 1

Notes

Hanging scroll.
Inscriptions and Marks from museum website:
inscription: Kyūka Sanshō Kinsha

RIdIM record id

5781