The Rat's Wedding / Utagawa Toyoharu
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About this Item
Record Details
- Accession Number
- 1960/1.162
- Title
- The Rat's Wedding
- Artist
- Utagawa Toyoharu
- Artist Nationality
- Japanese
- Artist Life Dates
- 1735-1814
- Medium and Support
- color woodblock print on paper
- Object Creation Date
- late 18th century - early 19th century
- Object Creation Place
- Asia (continent)
- Japan (nation)
- Creation Place 1
- Asia (continent)
- Creation Place 2
- Japan (nation)
- Credit Line
- Museum Purchase
- Style/Group/Movement
- ukiyo e
- Inscription
- Signed
- Dimensions
- ()
- Century
- 19th century
- Primary Object Classification
- Primary Object Type
- color print
- Physical Description
- The majority of this print depicts a deep architectural setting. In front of the buildings a wedding procession takes place. Rats, in daimyo fashion, are celebrating.
- Subject Matter
- The Rat’s Wedding is a fable known across much of Asia, including Japan, in which a young rat female comes of age. Her parents decide to wed her to the most powerful being in the world, and ask the sun to marry her. Although honored by their request, the sun tells them that clouds are stronger than he, blocking his rays. They make their proposal to a cloud, who directs them to the wind, and the wind bows to the strength of the wall. The wall explains that the strongest force in the world is a rat, able to make holes in his frame. The rat maiden is finally wed to a rat, and the jubilant procession is depicted here.
- Secondary Keywords
- animals and creatures
- ceremonies
- cultural ceremonies
- descriptors
- events
- groups of people
- groups of people by activity
- mammals
- object genres
- people
- people (agents)
- people and culture
- people by state or condition
- rites of passage
- Rights
- If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please visit https://umma.umich.edu/about/services/request-image/ for more information and to fill out the online Image Rights and Reproductions Request Form.
Technical Details
- Collection
- University of Michigan Museum of Art
- Image Size
- 1301 x 871
- File Size
- 147 KB
- Record
- 1960/1.162
- Link to this Item
-
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1960-sl-1.162/1960_1.162.jpg
Rights and Permissions
Related Links
Portfolios
- In public portfolios
IIIF
- Manifest
-
https://quod.lib.umich.edu/cgi/i/image/api/manifest/musart:1960-SL-1.162:1960_1.162.JPG
Cite this Item
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- Full citation
-
"The Rat's Wedding; Utagawa Toyoharu." In the digital collection University of Michigan Museum of Art. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1960-sl-1.162/1960_1.162.jpg. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed April 19, 2024.
