Picture of ‘White Stripe in the Waves’ Zhang Shun and ‘Black Whirlwind’ Li Kui Fighting in the Water, After February 1887
Woodblock print (nishiki-e); ink and color on paperexpand_more
The Mary Griggs Burke Endowment Fund established by the Mary Livingston Griggs and Mary Griggs Burke Foundation, gifts of various donors, by exchange, and gift of Edmond Freis in memory of his parents, Rose and Leon Freisexpand_more 2017.106.164a,b
Not on Viewexpand_more
Yoshitoshi and other print designers used the Chinese novel The Tales of the Water Margin (Shuihuzhuan; Jap.: Suikoden) about a rogue band of heroes as motifs for many warrior prints. The scene here refers to the story of Li Kui (Jap.: Riki), a river pirate, who tries to steal fish from a fisherman’s boat. He is interrupted, however, by Zhang Shun (Jap.: Chōjun), the owner of the local fish market. The two men struggle underwater, but Zhang (with red loin cloth) has the upper hand, since he is reputed to be able to walk underwater for 10 miles and live there for seven nights and days, while Li can hardly swim.
Yoshitoshi designed 15 vertical diptychs like this one for the publisher Matsui Eikichi that were produced from 1885 to 1889. The designs were so popular that some of them were republished very soon after they had first been issued.
Details
- Title
- Picture of ‘White Stripe in the Waves’ Zhang Shun and ‘Black Whirlwind’ Li Kui Fighting in the Water
- Artist Life
- 1839 - 1892
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- 2017.106.164a,b
- Catalogue Raisonne
- Keyes, Courage and Silence (1982), no. 497; Iwakiri, Yoshitoshi (2014), fig. 221, p. 291.
- 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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