Chōjū-jinbutsu-giga facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Chōjū-jinbutsu-giga |
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Animals wrestling on the first scroll of Chōjū-jinbutsu-giga
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| Material | Paper and ink |
| Created | 12th century and 13th century |
| Discovered | Scrolls were known since created. |
| Present location | Tokyo National Museum Kyoto National Museum |
The Chōjū-jinbutsu-giga (鳥獣人物戯画 (literally "Animal-person Caricatures")), often called Chōjū-giga (鳥獣戯画 (literally "Animal Caricatures")), is a famous collection of four picture scrolls from Japan. These scrolls are also known as the Scrolls of Frolicking Animals or Scrolls of Frolicking Animals and Humans in English. They belong to the Kōzan-ji temple in Kyoto, Japan.
Many people believe that Toba Sōjō created these scrolls. However, it looks like more than one artist worked on them because of the different drawing styles. The scrolls are read from right to left, which is a traditional way of reading in East Asia and is still common in Japan today. The Chōjū-jinbutsu-giga is also thought to be the oldest example of manga. Today, these important scrolls are kept safe at the Kyoto National Museum and the Tokyo National Museum.
The scrolls are some of the earliest examples of a simple, black-ink drawing style. This style became very popular in Japanese painting. Since they are drawn with a brush, like writing, they are considered paintings.
A Look at the Scrolls
The first scroll shows animals that act like humans, such as rabbits and monkeys. They are bathing and getting ready for a ceremony. In one scene, a monkey thief runs away from animals holding sticks. He even knocks over a frog during a lively event! Later, rabbits and monkeys play and wrestle. Another part shows animals at a funeral, and a frog praying to Buddha.
There is no writing on any of the scrolls, only pictures. The first scroll is the longest, measuring about 11 meters (36 feet) long and 30 centimeters (1 foot) wide.
When you unroll the first scroll, you see rabbits and monkeys swimming in a lake. Then, past mountains and trees, rabbits and frogs are making bows and arrows. Further along, more rabbits and frogs carry pots and boxes to an unknown event. Frogs and rabbits walk past monks with their animals, like wild boar and sika deer. A monkey runs away, possibly after stealing something, chased by a rabbit with a long stick. A frog lies on the ground, perhaps knocked over by the thief. Nearby, a celebration is happening with two frogs dancing and a group of animals chatting. Not far from the party, animals are wrestling and fighting. Two monkeys hold a box. Far from the celebration, a group of animals attends a funeral. A frog prays in front of a frog-shaped Budai statue as the scroll ends.
History of the Scrolls
The Chōjū-jinbutsu-giga scrolls are very old cultural treasures from the Kōzan-ji temple in Kyoto. Experts believe the first two scrolls were painted in the mid-Heian period (around the 12th century). The third and fourth scrolls might be from the Kamakura period (around the 13th century).
A famous historian named George Bailey Sansom described the scrolls. He said they show the artistic spirit of their time. He called the artist a "delightful draughtsman" who drew animals acting like monks. These drawings were full of funny jokes and were truly Japanese. They were a reaction against serious Buddhist art.
Many people think Toba Sōjō created Chōjū-jinbutsu-giga. He made other paintings that looked similar. However, it's hard to be sure if he made these specific scrolls. The drawings in Chōjū-jinbutsu-giga seem to make fun of Japanese priests from that time. They show the priests as toads, rabbits, and monkeys.
The scrolls are read from right to left, just like modern manga and Japanese books. Chōjū-jinbutsu-giga is considered the oldest manga in Japan. It is also a national treasure. Many Japanese animators believe it is the beginning of Japanese animated movies. The animals in Chōjū-jinbutsu-giga have very expressive faces. The artists even used "speed lines" sometimes, a technique still seen in manga today.
These types of picture scrolls, called emakimono, were not often seen by the public at first. But they later became very popular. Many ordinary people started copying their style. Emakimono became especially popular in the city of Ōtsu, Shiga. They were even called Ōtsu-e because of their popularity there in the 17th century. The first two scrolls are now kept at the Tokyo National Museum. The other two are at the Kyoto National Museum. The scrolls you see at Kōzan-ji today are copies.
Are They the First Manga?
There has been some discussion about whether Chōjū-jinbutsu-giga is truly the "first manga." The Yomiuri Shimbun newspaper, with writer Kanta Ishida, talked about different ideas.
Manga artist Seiki Hosokibara suggested that the Shigisan-engi scrolls were the first manga. Ishida argued that Chōjū-jinbutsu-giga should be seen as amazing artworks on their own. He said they shouldn't just be labeled as the origin of manga. He also felt they don't have a direct connection to the manga people read today.
Gallery
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Panel from the first scroll, depicting animals swimming and bathing for the upcoming ceremony.
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Panel from the fourth scroll, depicting monks sitting down and smoking their pipes.
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Panel from the second scroll, lions roar and scratching their backs.
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Panel from 3rd scroll with frogs and monkeys harrying an oxcart
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Stamp for Kōzan-ji (高山寺) placed on the scrolls.
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A Scene of Sorcery depicting foxes (kitsune), 19th-century version
See also
- Katsushika Hokusai
- The Tale of Genji
- Konjaku Monogatarishū
- Lianhuanhua
- Ukiyo-e
- Nishiki-e
- Hokusai Manga
- The Great Wave off Kanagawa
