Kagonuke Zu (1 results)

Hardcover. Condition: Fine. This beautiful painting depicts an aristocratic audience enjoying an acrobatic performance. Presumably, it is a fragment from a manuscripted scroll. The trick being performed is called "Kagonuke" and was first described during the Enpo era (1673-81) in the first illustrated Japanese encyclopedia, "Wakan Sansai Zue". It tells the story of two acrobats, Izumi Kotaka and Ryunosuke Karasaki, visiting Osaka. The trick involves a bamboo basket pipe with a diameter of 1.5 shaku (approximately 50 centimeters) and a length of 7 to 8 shaku, fixed on a stand or suspended in the air. Lit candles can be placed inside the basket. An assistant stabs the basket with a sword, while the acrobat jumps through it, wearing a sugegasa (a straw hat) of the same diameter as the pipe. The stunning sakura blooming screens in the background enhance the beauty of the painting. The noble audience shows its excitement. 33x41.5cm. Paper, ink, glue painting, gold. Mounted on cardboard. Wooden Japanese frame made in the 20th century. Ex-owner inscription on the backside of the frame. Traces of creasings, otherwise in fine condition. Extra shipping charges may be applied due to weight and size of the item.