Artwork preview

A Man Slaying a Monster Carp with a Sword

Totoya Hokkei

The Metropolitan Museum of Art

A man wearing a red and gold top with a white patterned undergarment rides on top of a large koi fish in water. The man has dark hair and holds a sword with both hands. The fish has dark brown scales, a beige underbelly, and a large eye with a pink iris. The background features swirling waves depicted in shades of gray and gold. A peach-colored rectangle with black Japanese characters floats on the top left. A smaller blue rectangle with red Japanese characters is near the bottom left.

Artwork Details

Date
ca. 1830
Medium
Diptych of woodblock prints (surimono); ink and color on paper
Culture
Japan
Dimensions
600 × 346 px
Public Domain
Yes
Museum Record
View original
Palette