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Pair of Six Panel Screens: Whale Hunting and Harvesting

Tosa 17th century, Ink and color on paper with silk brocade border and black lacquer trim with elaborate bronze hardware. Seal reads: Chikanobu. Measurements listed are for each individual screen. The images in this pair of screens are reflecting the importance of the whale and all it will provide for this coastal community. They illustrate whaling techniques as well as how everyone contributes to the harvesting of the whale. The depiction of whale hunting is rare in Japanese art and there are few examples. One notable screen is in the collection of the Osaka Museum of History by artist Tosa Mitsunori (1583-1638).