Dancing skeletons / Cartoon of death

hanging scroll

Japanese Collection

Accession Nr.: 1817
Type: painting; hanging scroll
Artist/Maker:
Date of production:
1893
Meiji era
Place of production:
Acquisition: collected by Péter Vay
Marks: three red stamps
Materials/Techniques: ink and pale colours on silk
Dimensions: height: 153 cm
width: 45.3 cm
mirror: 89.5 × 32.4 cm
The painting shows six dancing skeletons, moving from right to left across the scroll. Each skeleton is surrounded by a pale tint. Some
of them stoop very low, bending forwards, and most have their arms raised. In the upper left-hand corner of the scroll is a lengthy inscription: a four-line verse with a date, as well as three red stamps.