Ducks attack lizard
- Medium:
- Woodblock print
- Source:
- Watanabe Print
- Image courtesy of
- Watanabe Print
Description
The confrontation between ducks and a lizard belongs to the tradition of comic or unexpected animal interactions that Kyosai explored throughout his career, often with satirical undertones. Waterfowl — mallards, mandarin ducks, or domestic breeds — were familiar kacho-e subjects, but pairing them aggressively against a reptile subverts the genre's decorative norms. Kyosai's animal drawings were noted for their kinetic energy, and this print likely depicts the ducks in aggressive, forward-lunging postures. The composition may carry allegorical dimensions consistent with Kyosai's satirical visual practice, in which animal groupings stood in for social or political dynamics. Technically, the interlocking forms of birds and reptile would have required careful block design.
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from the series One Hundred Pictures by Kyôsai (Kyôsai hyakuzu)
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Frequently Asked Questions
Ducks attack lizard was created by Kawanabe Kyosai (河鍋暁斎).
Ducks attack lizard depicts birds & flowers.