Hakuho (?-?) "Shōki (Zhong Kui) " Late Edo period

Art work details

Shipping table

Setting weight
This piece weighs 1.0 kg and will be shipped in 100 size.

Material
Japanese pigments on silk

Size
Overall: vertical 189 × width 54.5 cm＊width does not include roller ends.
(the work: vertical 108.5 × width 41.3cm)

Condition
・There are floats, wrinkles, burns, stains gaps at the upper ends on the Japanese paper on the back of the cover.
・It has been re-mounted several decades ago.
・There are stains, burns on the image.
・There are warp, burns, stains, wrinkles in mounting.

Remarks
Roller ends is lacquerware.
・There is no signature on the box.

Materials for mounting
・All of them are made of silk.

Other
**There is a note about shipping restrictions and VAT. Please check before purchase.**
*There may be a slight difference in color between the photo and the actual product.

Biography
Hakuho (?-?)

・The bio of the author is unknown.

A word from the store
The original owner had the cover re-tailored around the Showa period (1926-1989).
The old cover must have been badly damaged.
This is a pity.
The painting inside is estimated to be from the late Edo period.
The details of the artist are unknown, but the way the facial expressions are drawn is quietly powerful, reminiscent of daruma (a type of Japanese doll).
There are some marks and stains on the silk inside, but the work is in relatively good condition with no noticeable damage such as tears.
The meaning of the vermilion color is said to have been painted to prevent smallpox (vermilion in color), which was prevalent in the past.
Other paintings were also painted to ward off evil spirits and bad luck, and to celebrate children's festivals.

Main Meaning
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.