Morizumi (?-?) 守澄, Red Zhong Kui (Sho-ki), Late Edo period, Japanese hanging scroll, kakejiku

Art work details

Shipping table

Zhong Kui is a Taoist deity, mainly from Chinese folklore.
In Japan, people dedicate pictures and dolls to him during Tango-no Sekku (Dragon Boat Festival) because he is believed to be effective in warding off pox and achieving academic success.
The image of Shoki is also believed to be effective in warding off evil, and is often displayed as a banner, a folding screen, or a hanging scroll, or placed on a roof. Note that Zhong Kui (Sho-ki), painted in vermilion, comes from the fact that the red color was said to be effective in preventing smallpox during the Edo period.
He is always depicted with a long beard, dressed in the costume of a Chinese official, holding a sword and staring at something with his big eyes.

Material
Ink, Japanese pigments on paper

Size
Overall: vertical 159 cm × width 35.2 cm（62.6 in × 13.86 in）＊width does not include roller ends.
(the work: vertical 78.7 cm × width 25.6 cm（30.98 in × 10.08 in）)

Condition
・There are burns, stains, wrinkles, and repair of wrinkles on the Japanese paper on the back of the cover.
・There are burns, stains, wrinkles, dirt, and folds on the image.
・There are burns, stains, wrinkles, folds, and warp in the mounting.

Remarks
・Roller ends is lacquerware.
It comes in a paper box.

Materials for mounting
・Ichimonji (The two upper and lower fabrics closest to the painting)＝silk, Other parts = Japanese paper (Momi-gami mounting)

Other
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There may be a slight difference in color between the photo and the actual product.

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Biography
Morizumi (?-?)

・The bio of the author is unknown.

From the store

At first glance, its age is immediately apparent.
Both the painting itself and the washi paper are undoubtedly old.
However, the surrounding Momi-gami mounting, likely added in a slightly later period (estimated to be from the late Edo to Meiji era), enhances the painting’s charm.
In conclusion, it is fortunate that the mounting has been preserved in its original state, as it allows one to feel the atmosphere and historical depth more directly.

The ink used at the time has aged gracefully, developing a faded tone over the years. Similarly, the vermilion pigment, made from natural materials, has acquired a hue that cannot be replicated with modern techniques.

While the condition is far from pristine, with folds, stains, creases, and tears across the painting, attempting to clean or remount it would erase the sense of historical authenticity and texture. For this reason, it has been left as is.

Regrettably, the original box is missing, and little is known about the artist, Morizumi.

The shorter length of the scroll is due to the lower ceilings of traditional Japanese homes in the past. It is said that these lower ceilings were designed to prevent the free swinging of swords, which also resulted in lower tokonoma alcoves. Hanging scrolls from the Edo period generally reflect this tendency.

This particular scroll is believed to have been commissioned by a town leader of the era, likely as a means to ward off epidemics during a time when effective vaccines for diseases like smallpox were unavailable.

Momi-gami (Crumpled Paper)

The wrinkles in the mounting are not naturally formed but are a result of skilled craftsmanship, created using a technique known as Momi-gami. In the world of hanging scrolls, Momi-gami is often used in tea ceremony mountings, where the hand-crafted wrinkles evoke a sense of rustic simplicity and wabi-sabi aesthetics.

The technique of Momi-gami originated during the Muromachi period and gained significant popularity during the Edo period as a material for hanging scroll mountings. However, its demand sharply declined during the Meiji era. There was a brief resurgence in interest during the early Showa period, but with the advent of war and the increasing use of silk over paper in mountings, the number of artisans specializing in Momi-gami dwindled significantly.

The primary material used for the Momi-gami paper is kozo (paper mulberry), along with pigments. Sometimes, materials like persimmon tannin, gold leaf, or silver leaf are also incorporated.
Once the pigments applied to the washi paper have dried, the paper is manually crumpled to create the characteristic wrinkles.

Since the process is entirely done by hand, it requires a high level of skill and expertise.