Memorial Anniversary (Shunen), from the series "One Hundred Ghost Tales (Hyaku monogatari)"
This print shows a snake, symbolizing malevolence, as it crawls over the items used in a memorial service for the dead. In accordance with custom, the display includes a box of sweets, a spirit tablet inscribed with the Buddhist name of the deceased, and a green leaf floating in a bowl of fresh water. The Art Institute’s collection boasts one of the most well-preserved and appreciated editions of Katsushika Hok usa i’s One Hundred Ghost Tales series (1831–32). The artist apparently planned to produce a full hundred images, but the series was not completed and only five prints are known. The...
Details
- Palette
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Select a color to find related artworks.
- Dimensions
- 24.3 × 18.5 cm (9 5/8 × 7 5/16 in.)
- Origin
- Japan
- Department
- Arts of Asia
- Holding institution
- Art Institute of Chicago
- Image provider
- art-institute-chicago
- License
- CC0-1.0
- Credit
- Clarence Buckingham Collection
Art Genome Taxonomy
12 tags
Subject Matter
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Animals Visual · 99%
A large snake is clearly depicted, winding around the memorial objects and occupying much of the composition.
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Mourning and Commemoration Metadata · 98%
The museum identifies the image as a memorial service display associated with the dead and titles it Memorial Anniversary.
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Related to Religion Metadata · 96%
The catalog describes a spirit tablet inscribed with the Buddhist name of the deceased and connects the scene to customary memorial practice.
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Group of Objects Visual · 94%
The composition contains a clustered arrangement of discrete objects, including a tablet, containers, coverings, a bowl, and a snake.
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Text Visual · 99%
Prominent vertical writing appears on the spirit tablet, with additional characters in the small cartouche at upper left.
Visual Qualities
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Dark Colors Visual · 93%
Black, brown, and deep blue forms contrast strongly with the pale paper and muted blue-gray ground.
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Patterns Visual · 95%
Repeated scale patterns on the snake and patterned textile or wrapping surfaces are prominent throughout the image.
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Dense Composition Visual · 92%
The objects overlap within a tightly framed vertical arrangement, producing a visually concentrated composition.
Medium and Techniques
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Prints Metadata · 99%
The work is cataloged as a color woodblock print; the image visibly has the flat, registered appearance of a printed composition.
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Woodcut and Linocut Metadata · 99%
The supplied medium is Color woodblock print; chuban, directly supporting the woodblock-print technique.
Time Periods
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19th Century Art Metadata · 99%
The catalog dates the print to 1831–32, within the nineteenth century.
Geographic Regions
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Japanese Art Metadata · 99%
The work was made in Japan and is cataloged with Japanese culture or style.
Source & rights
Katsushika Hokusai. Memorial Anniversary (Shunen), from the series "One Hundred Ghost Tales (Hyaku monogatari)". The Art Institute of Chicago.