Page 471 - Edo: Art in Japan, 1615–1868

275 • As the scroll unfurls, we relive the cavort in fantastic costumes, among
Ozawa Kagaku excitement of wild costume dances, them a man with a beard and a tall
(active c. 1830-1850) captured in all their colorful splendor bald cap posing as the god of good
Costume Dances and frenetic energy. The dances fortune Jurôjin, a long-nosed goblin
occurred in Kyoto during several weeks with flowery wings, a frog, an octopus,
Dated 1839 a turtle, fish, bugs, birds, and butter-
Handscroll; ink and color on paper in late spring 1839. The scroll opens
with the title brushed in archaic-style flies. In a subsequent section of the
:
31.6 X 503.5 (l2 /2 X I98V4) scroll dancers dressed as bales of rice
Osaka City Museum calligraphy; the four boldly inscribed
Chinese characters may be deciphered sheaves bounce wildly about, accom-
as "dancing incognito" (fuchi butó). The panied by the god of thunder, in a
artist Kagaku has created a remarkable demonic red mask and with a circle
uninterrupted dance scene stretching
some five meters in length. Dancers