Fox-fire of the Twenty-four Paragons of Filial Piety
- Date:
- 1892 (this edition Feb. 1902)
- Medium:
- Woodblock print (nishiki-e), ink and color on paper
- Format:
- Oban
- Dimensions:
- 36.8 × 25.4 cm
- Source:
- Minneapolis Institute of Art
Description
"Fox-fire of the Twenty-four Paragons of Filial Piety" (1892) depicts fox spirits (kitsune) appearing as supernatural flames or ghostly fire—kitsunebi—in a scene that combines Chinese moral exemplum with Japanese folklore. The Twenty-four Paragons were a famous collection of stories about filial piety originating in China, adapted throughout East Asia as moral instruction. Yoshitoshi's treatment adds a layer of supernatural imagery drawn from Japanese fox lore, in which foxes serve as messengers of the Inari deity and practitioners of magical transformation.
More Prints by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi
More Animals Prints
Snake Charmers (Hebizukai)
Hebizukai
1932
Color woodblock print; oban
Hoshifuri Pine at Zen'yoji Temple in Edogawa (Edogawa-ku Zen'yoji Hoshifuri matsu), from the series "One Hundred Views of Great Tokyo in the Showa Era (Showa dai Tokyo fukei hyaku zue hanga)"
1935
Color woodblock print; oban
Drawing for Rabbit and Boy
1964
Acrylic paint and oil pastel with oiled charcoal and ink over an ink and graphite underdrawing on paper
Rabbit and Boy
1964
Color lithograph with relief block and hand coloring; edition 35/36
Frequently Asked Questions
Fox-fire of the Twenty-four Paragons of Filial Piety was created by Tsukioka Yoshitoshi (月岡芳年) in 1892 (this edition Feb. 1902).
Fox-fire of the Twenty-four Paragons of Filial Piety depicts animals.
Fox-fire of the Twenty-four Paragons of Filial Piety measures 36.8 × 25.4 cm (Oban format).