Minneapolis Institute of Art

Long Arms [right of a pair of Long Legs and Long Arms]

Kawanabe Kyōsai

Date

1870s–1880s

Medium

Hanging scroll, left of a pair, ink and color on paper

Department

Asian Art

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

These two hanging scrolls depict Ashinaga, literally Long Legs, and Tenaga, literally Long Arms, a pair of popular yōkai or ghosts from Japanese folklore that originated in China. Kawanabe Kyōsai, who was known for his sense of humor, depicted them here in two memorable, amusing scenes. On the left, Ashinaga with his very long legs is about to take a bite from a persimmon hanging on a tree. Two small men are at his feet. One is climbing up Ashinaga’s leg, while the other has his arms raised. Maybe they are the keepers of the tree and are upset about his selfish behavior. On the right is a comical interpretation of the old Buddhist parable of a gibbon who thinks he can catch the moon by grasping its reflection in the water. In Kyōsai’s rendition, Tenaga extends his wildly long arms to hold up a gibbon who in turn stretches out his left arm to grasp the tail of a shrimp that is trying to reach for the real moon with its long antennae. Asia

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