Snake (Mi)

Yashima Gakutei designed Snake (Mi) in 1826 as the sixth animal in his complete zodiac surimono cycle. The Victoria and Albert Museum preserves the print among the museum's holdings of the artist's calendrical designs.

The snake coils tightly in the composition, scales rendered with careful overprinting that suggests their iridescent texture without overwhelming the clarity of the silhouette. Gakutei often paired the snake with attributes drawn from religious and folkloric tradition: white snakes are associated with the goddess Benzaiten and bring good fortune, and motifs like rocks, water, or sacred plants frequently surround zodiac snake imagery. Whatever the supporting elements, the animal itself is the focal point, its compact body and lifted head conveying the alert, mysterious character that East Asian tradition has long attributed to serpents.