Minneapolis Institute of Art

A monkey jumps into a waterfall

Tsukioka Yoshitoshi; Author: Sumida Ryōko; Publisher: Fukushimaya Tashichi

Date

1864, 12th lunar month

Medium

Woodblock print (nishiki-e), ink and color on paper

Department

Asian Art

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

The Monkey King Sun Wukong (Son Gokū in Japanese) is one of the main characters in the 16th-century Chinese novel The Journey to the West, or Xiyouji. Born from a divine stone egg, he is endowed with intelligence and magical powers. In search of spiritual understanding, he sets off on a journey but is imprisoned for bringing havoc to the Celestial Palace of the Jade Emperor. Eventually he is released to accompany the Chinese Buddhist monk Xuanzang on his journey west to India. This print shows a group of monkeys observing a waterfall. The bravest monkey jumps through the waterfall to discover its source and is later crowned the Monkey King. Asia

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