Artwork Page for Playing the "Hand Game"

Details / Information for Playing the "Hand Game"

Playing the "Hand Game"

c. 1760

Hasegawa Yasumasa 長谷川安政

(Japanese)
Culture
Japan, Edo period (1615–1868)
Medium
hanging scroll; ink and color on paper
Measurements
Overall: 39 x 55.3 cm (15 3/8 x 21 3/4 in.)
Credit Line
The Kelvin Smith Collection, given by Mrs. Kelvin Smith 1985.258
Public Domain
You can copy, modify, and distribute this work, all without asking permission. Learn more about CMA's Open Access Initiative.
Location
Not on view
Print

Description

This scene depicts three people playing a game in which three players make hand gestures simultaneously. The relationship among the gestures determines the winner. Known as hand games, during the eighteenth century they were popular in Japan among courtesans. In this version, the contestants use both hands, indicating a special variation such as the fox hand game, which features gestures for a fox, a village leader, and a hunter.
A hanging scroll depicts five women with light skin tones on a matted floor. Four sit together; one pours tea while two gesture toward each other. To their right, a woman plays a shamisen, a long-necked instrument with strings. They wear patterned robes in red, blue, and green. Sliding paper screens and a garden walkway define the space. Brown haze drifts across the top. Japanese calligraphy and a red seal appear at the right.

Playing the "Hand Game"

c. 1760

Hasegawa Yasumasa

(Japanese)
Japan, Edo period (1615–1868)

See Also

Visually Similar by AI

Contact Us

The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please fill out the appropriate request form linked below:

Update or Correct Artwork Information

Imagery or Rights for Non-Open-Access Artworks

Report a Website Issue

Further Questions About This Artwork