Woodblock of Karashishi Lithograph by Kano Eitoku, Kano School

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Karashishi was a lion protector in Japanese Buddhism and Shintoism.
They originated in China, shi, meaning lion.
Kano Eitoku (1543-1590) … Read more Karashishi was a lion protector in Japanese Buddhism and Shintoism.
They originated in China, shi, meaning lion.
Kano Eitoku (1543-1590) was a Japanese painter of the Azuchi– Momoyama period. Working in the bold, colorful style typical of the decorative screen painting of the 16th century, he was the leading artist of his day and one of the most influential Japanese painters.
He founded the Kano school which trained painters who became very known.
This lithograph has been composed by selecting a part of the original screen which is in the Museum of Imperial collections. Its simplified composition concentrating on the oversized and fierce beast reflects the heroic spirit of the Momoyama period.
Kan Eitoku is representative of the academic Kano School which had followed traditional methods since the sixteenth century.
Talented enough to grasp the spirit of the age, however he created a new and powerful style as typified by this work. See less