Making Bubbles

Catalog note / 解説

Kuniyoshi frequently personified animals in his compositions, adding a humorous element to his prints. This print depicts a goldfish making bubbles, while other goldfish and a turtle family look on. The Japanese tradition of personifying animals has a long history in painting, dating back to the Kamakura period (12th-13th century). This often was used to satirize human society, as in the most famous example, the Frolicking Animals scroll (Chöjü giga), of which the Academy has a well-known 16th century copy in its collection. Goldfish scooping (Kingyo-sukui ) is a game for children in which a player catches goldfish with a scooper, which was historically made from a sheet of paper stretched…