
Bon Festival Dance
- Date:
- c. 1804/06
- Medium:
- Color woodblock print; surimono
- Format:
- Oban
- Source:
- Art Institute of Chicago
Description
Figures move in the circular pattern of the Bon Festival dance (Obon), a summer Buddhist rite performed to welcome and honor the spirits of the deceased. Issued as a surimono around 1804–06, the composition captures the communal festivity of late summer Edo, with costumes and the rhythm of the dancers conveying both the solemnity and joyful pageantry of the occasion.
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19th century
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Fukuroi
1804
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The Fishermen of Katase Hauling in Their Nets: The Purple Shell (Murasakigai)
1821
Color woodblock print with metallic pigments; surimono shikishiban
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Frequently Asked Questions
Bon Festival Dance was created by Katsushika Hokusai (葛飾北斎) in c. 1804/06.
Bon Festival Dance depicts music and summer.


