Kintaro Captures the Carp (Kintaro rigyo o torau)

Date:: July 1885
Medium:: Color woodblock prints; oban diptych
Format:: Oban
Source:: Art Institute of Chicago

Typical Price

Scarce or exceptional Yoshitoshi composition in fine condition: $1,500–$8,000
Good condition print: $400–$1,500
Later impression or common subject: $200–$600

Description

"Kintaro Captures the Carp" (July 1885) presents the legendary boy-hero Kintarō wrestling an enormous carp in a rushing mountain stream—a subject that combines his legendary strength with the vitality of the natural world. The [diptych](/glossary/diptych) format allows Yoshitoshi to spread the turbulent water and the struggling figures across two sheets, creating a composition of considerable kinetic energy. Kintarō's battles with animals and supernatural creatures in his mountain childhood were among the most beloved subjects in Japanese popular art, from illustrated books to woodblock prints to children's toys.