The Mask Carver
Katsushika Hokumei
Early 19th century
Medium
Color woodblock print; surimono
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
89556
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
In this large surimono print, a craftsman takes a break from fashioning a demon mask out of wood. Surimonoare privately published prints made on thick paper with more lavish pigments—as compared to commercial productions—and they usually bear poems. The rough shape of the mask reveals the horns of a hannya, or female demon. The artist, Katsushika Hokumei, studied under the influential Japanese painter and printmaker Katsushika Hokusai—a rare opportunity for a woman.