left scroll: man with very long legs stands with mouth wide open under a persimmon tree about to eat a fruit; below, a small man attempts to climb tall figure's PL leg while a third man stands near the tall figure's foot with arms raised

Long Legs [left of a pair of Long Legs and Long Arms], 1870s-1880s

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These two hanging scrolls depict Ashinaga, literally Long Legs, and

Tenaga, literally Long Arms, a pair of popular yōkai or ghosts from
Japanese folklore that originated in China. Kawanabe Kyōsai, who was
known for his sense of humor, depicted them here in two memorable,
amusing scenes. On the left, Ashinaga with his very long legs is about to
take a bite from a persimmon hanging on a tree. Two small men are at
his feet. One is climbing up Ashinaga’s leg, while the other has his arms
raised. Maybe they are the keepers of the tree and are upset about his
selfish behavior. On the right is a comical interpretation of the old
Buddhist parable of a gibbon who thinks he can catch the moon by
grasping its reflection in the water. In Kyōsai’s rendition, Tenaga extends
his wildly long arms to hold up a gibbon who in turn stretches out his
left arm to grasp the tail of a shrimp that is trying to reach for the real
moon with its long antennae.

Details
Title
Long Legs [left of a pair of Long Legs and Long Arms]
Artist Life
1831 - 1889
Role
Artist
Accession Number
2013.29.1098.2
Curator Approved

This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.

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left scroll: man with very long legs stands with mouth wide open under a persimmon tree about to eat a fruit; below, a small man attempts to climb tall figure's PL leg while a third man stands near the tall figure's foot with arms raised