Item from the Mokuhankan Flea Market

Monkey Trainer on Boat

Size: 29.5cm by 22.0cm (11.61 in by 8.66 in) | Enlargement | Shipping Code: [M] ?

Designer: Ippitsusai Buncho

Era: Taisho | Currency: $ / £ / €

Price: ¥ 12,000$ 86.00£ 63.50€ 73.00 [Item has been sold]

Description: Under the bridge, there is an anchored boat.

At first glance, we were puzzled by the image: a monkey is sitting on the bridge girder while the string tied to the animal is connected to the boat floating on the river. The boat must be anchored!

Careful observation gradually helped us understand the scene. The man on the far right is playing the drum, a woman is playing the shamisen, and the last man appears to be a monkey trainer. On the half-open fan held by the trainer, a few letters can be seen; it reads Funagaku 船楽, meaning 'musicians playing on a boat'.

Presumably, the musicians are performing with the monkey. The small items hanging on the pole supported by the monkey trainer must be for the monkey performance.

Browse thumbnail pages of various selections from the catalogue ...

Mokuhankan Publications:
general (107)   kacho-e (27)   landscape (56)   bijin-ga (19)   contemporary (18)   senshafuda (2)   yakusha-e (4)   HangaClub (71)   ebook (6)   miscellaneous (4)   8 Cats (4)   supplies (6)   [ Also see our Annual Gift Page ]

Partner Shops:
Kawase Hasui prints (7)   Yoshida family prints (27)   Doi Hanga prints (13)   Miyakodori prints (12)   Numabe Mokuhan prints (7)   Guest items (29)  

Mokuhankan Flea Market   (our 'antique' prints):
(All items)  general (67)   kacho-e (53)   yakusha-e (39)   landscape (172)   bijin-ga (103)   nihonga (11)   sosaku (2)   kuchi-e (0)   contemporary (0)   set (47)   books (7)    [ List of Recently sold items ]  [ Flea Market Matsuri ]