The contents of this item, including all images and text, are for personal, educational, and non-commercial use only. The contents of this item may not be reproduced in any form without the express permission of Scripps College. Any form of image reproduction, transmission, display, or storage in any retrieval system is prohibited without the written consent of Scripps College and other copyright holders. Scripps College retains all rights, including copyright, in data, images, documentation, text and other information contained in these files. For permissions, please contact: Scripps College, Ruth Chandler Williamson Gallery Attn: Rights and Reproductions, 1030 Columbia Avenue, Claremont, CA 91711
Description
According to the inscription on the left side, this composition was originally a painting by Chikanobu that he entered in the Second Painting Competitive Exhibition / Dai ni Kaiga Kyoshinkai held in 1884. The work received the bronze prize and was purchased by the Imperial Household Agency / Kunaisho. Because many people wanted a print of this painting, the publisher Enkyodo had this woodblock reproduction made, but at a smaller scale. The size and current location of the original painting has not been determined yet, but judging from other extant Chikanobu paintings, "Children's Cockfight" was probably done in colors on silk in a hanging scroll format. The Ministry of Agriculture and Commerce sponsored the first Domestic Painting Competitive Exhibition / Naikoku kaiga kyoshinkai in 1882, prompted by Meiji government officials having visited such publicly sponsored exhibitions in Europe. Chikanobu, Yoshitoshi and Kyosai were among the artists mostly known for print designs who contributed works. Yoshitoshi's memorable 1882 composition "Fujiwara Yasumasa Playing the Flute by Moonlight / Fujiwara Yasumasa gekka roteki" was another example of a print being issued based on a painting shown at the government venue. While Yoshitoshi's image from the past has an unsettling ominous quality about it, Chikanobu's depiction of seven young boys at play seems fairly light-hearted for what could be a bloody picture of a brutal sport.
If you're wondering about permissions and what you can do with this item, a good starting point is the "rights information" on this page. See our terms of use for more tips.
Share your story
Has Calisphere helped you advance your research, complete a project, or find something meaningful? We'd love to hear about it; please send us a message.
