Until 10th Sep, 2025

Buy it now

 
 

A SCROLL PAINTING OF MANZAI PERFORMERS, c. 1900s
AK0924 - LOT 801

Buy now for €195.00


Estimated at €150 - €300

Lot details

Japan, late 19th to early 20th century

Ink, watercolors, and gouache on silk. Mounted as a hanging scroll on a silk brocade frame with ribbed stag antler handles. Depicting two manzai dancers performing their whimsical dance, one holding a fan, while the hunched, senile one beats his tsuzumi hand drum.

Inscriptions: Signed with seal.

Image SIZE 100 x 35 cm, SIZE incl. mounting 184 x 47.3 cm

Condition: Good condition with minor wear. Some creasing, minor folds, light soiling, and foxing. The mounting with usual traces of wear, foxing, and one tear.

With a wood tomobako storage box. (2)

Manzai is a traditional style of comedy in Japanese culture involving two performers, one being a ‘straight’ man (tsukkomi) and a ‘funny’ man (boke). Their performances were originally for the New Year festival with the earliest mention of manzai performers dating to the Heian period. While their performances were traditional, poets like Takarai Kikaku mocked them. In a Haiku, Kikaku wrote, ‘The New Year Dancers / Never miss a single step / Millet for the crane.’ While other poets like Yosa Buson wrote, ‘Yes, New Year’s dancers / Pounding good and properly / The dirt in Kyoto.’ The latter can be said of the dancers depicted on the present lot.

 

Natural Light Images for Logged-in Users Only

You can find images of this item taken under natural daylight below. Click on an image to zoom in or save.

If there are no natural light images for this item, please email us at office@zacke.at or use the request form below.

   


Log in or sign up to view the natural light images.

Click here to request more information on this lot.

 
 

How to Buy Online

You must log in or create an online account in order to buy items from the shop.

Click the red 'Buy it Now' button to buy this item. You will then be able to download your invoice and receive instructions about how to pay. Prices include Buyer's Premium. 

If you would like to buy multiple items at the same time, add the items you want to your cart. You will then be able to check out with multiple items simultaneously.

Items in your cart are not reserved. Please complete the purchase process promptly to secure the items.

How to Buy Offline

If you would like to buy one of these items outside of the online shop, please contact us at office@zacke.at or +43 (1) 532 04 52.

Our Terms and Conditions

As part of our ongoing efforts to keep our auctions fair and transparent, we encourage you to read our terms and conditions thoroughly. We urge you to read through §34-50) to ensure you understand them. These terms are specifically designed to protect all serious and committed buyers from bidding against non-payers who attempt to inflate prices without the intent of paying their auction bills.

For further reading about non-payers at auction, go here: https://www.zacke.at/aboutnonpayers/.

The main points include the following:

  • Bidders must complete their due diligence and clarify all questions about the objects before the auction. After the auction, Zacke will not answer questions from bidders unless the purchase price has been paid in full. Of course, this does not apply to questions concerning shipping, insurance, customs, etc.
  • A sale cancellation of any kind after the fall of the hammer is not possible. The only exception to this fundamental rule is our guarantee of authenticity [the Guarantee].
  • A Guarantee Claim, however, can only be raised after the purchase price has been paid in full by the buyer and within 45 days after the auction day.

If you have any questions about our policies, please get in touch with us at office@zacke.at.

By placing a bid, you agree to our Terms of Auction and Terms and Conditions.