Hanging scroll of two rabbits

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[Hanging scroll of two rabbits]

[Kitazawa], Rakuten [painted by].

[Japan, ca. late Meiji to Taishō period (1900-20s)?]. In manuscript.

A hanging scroll painted by the manga artist Kitazawa Rakuten (1876-1955), featuring two rabbits in snow, an arrow, and the Japanese proverb "He who chases two hares catches neither". Rakuten was an influential cartoonist and artist whose accomplishments include founding Tokyo Puck magazine and being awarded the French National Order of the Legion of Honour (Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur) following an exhibition in Paris. Manga historians including Mark W. MacWilliams describe Rakuten as "one of the founding fathers of Japanese manga" (Japanese Visual Culture: Explorations in the World of Manga and Anime, 2014, p. 11). A charming illustration.

One hanging scroll, housed in wooden box. Sandanhyōsō, paper mounted on fabric, signed and sealed by the artist. Small marks to mounting; light foxing and a few marks to paper. Paper measures approximately 120.5 x 32.8 cm; scroll measures approximately 207 x 46.2 cm when unfurled.

Hanging scroll of two rabbits
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