Top of page

Photo, Print, Drawing January Sekku Festival.

About this Item

Title

  • January Sekku Festival.

Summary

  • Utagawa Kuniyoshi (1797--1861) was a disciple of Utagawa Toyokuni (1769--1825), founder of the Utagawa school. In this work produced in about 1847, Kuniyoshi presents a typical New Year's scene of the Edo period (1600--1867). In the center of the picture is a large kite with the image of Bodhidharma (also called Daruma), a Zen Buddhist sage of fearsome appearance who was often caricatured in Japan. Children are playing with the kite, around which stand three mothers with children. The pair in the middle is on the way to take the first bath of the year. The pair on the right plays battledore and shuttlecock, and the pair on the left is watching the kites fly. In the distance a merchant draws a cart loaded with the year's first cargo, with Mount Fuji symbolically looming beyond the cloud. Five annual festivals, Go-Sekku, mark the changing cycle of seasons, and the January Sekku contains the New Year celebrations. Kuniyoshi's colorful ukiyo-e prints were wildly popular in his day.

Names

  • Utagawa, Kuniyoshi, 1798-1861 Artist.

Created / Published

  • Edo : Enshuya Matabei, 1847.

Headings

  • -  Japan
  • -  1847
  • -  Bodhidharma, 6th century
  • -  Festivals
  • -  Kites
  • -  Mothers and children
  • -  New Year
  • -  Ukiyo-e
  • -  Woodcuts

Notes

  • -  Title devised, in English, by Library staff.
  • -  Original resource extent: Set of three : woodblock prints, color ; 37 x 25.5 centimeters.
  • -  Original resource at: National Diet Library.
  • -  Content in Japanese.
  • -  Description based on data extracted from World Digital Library, which may be extracted from partner institutions.

Medium

  • 1 online resource.

Digital Id

Library of Congress Control Number

  • 2021668775

Online Format

  • compressed data
  • pdf
  • image

Additional Metadata Formats

IIIF Presentation Manifest

Rights & Access

The Library of Congress is unaware of any copyright or other restrictions in the World Digital Library Collection. Absent any such restrictions, these materials are free to use and reuse. Researchers are encouraged to review the source information attached to each item. For information on contacting WDL partner organizations, see this archived list of partners

The Library asks that researchers approach the materials in this collection with respect for the culture and sensibilities of the people whose lives, ideas, and creativity are documented here.

Credit Line: [Original Source citation], World Digital Library

More about Copyright and other Restrictions

For additional information and contact information for many of the partner organizations, see this archived capture of the World Digital Library site from 2021.

For guidance about compiling full citations consult Citing Primary Sources.

Cite This Item

Citations are generated automatically from bibliographic data as a convenience, and may not be complete or accurate.

Chicago citation style:

Utagawa, Kuniyoshi, Artist. January Sekku Festival. Japan, 1847. Edo: Enshuya Matabei. Photograph. https://www.loc.gov/item/2021668775/.

APA citation style:

Utagawa, K. (1847) January Sekku Festival. Japan, 1847. Edo: Enshuya Matabei. [Photograph] Retrieved from the Library of Congress, https://www.loc.gov/item/2021668775/.

MLA citation style:

Utagawa, Kuniyoshi, Artist. January Sekku Festival. Edo: Enshuya Matabei. Photograph. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/2021668775/>.