Kawanabe Kyosai woodblock “Even Jizo Will Be Angry If You Touch His Face Three Times”, Edo satire 1863–66

Artist: Kawanabe Kyosai (1831–1889)
Series: One Hundred Pictures by Kyosai (暁斎百図, Kyosai Hyakuzu)
Date: ca. 1863–1866 (late Edo period)
Publishers and editions: the series was issued twice in the 19th century — first as single sheets in the 1860s (Wakasaya Yoichi), and later as an album reprint in the 1880s (Okura Magobei)
Format: chūban (approx. 13 × 18 cm)
Medium: polychrome woodblock print (nishiki-e) on handmade washi paper

Subject and scene
A humorous depiction of the proverb “Even Jizō will be angry if you touch his face three times.”
A mischievous samurai provokes the sacred statue, and the deity himself rises in anger — a comic inversion of patience and piety.

Meaning and context
The proverb means that even the most patient person has limits. Kyosai transforms this moral teaching into grotesque humor, parodying human insolence toward faith and divine restraint.

Material and stylistic notes
Printed on handmade washi characteristic of early impressions; crisp lines, warm pigments, and vivid green background typical of first 1860s sheets.

Condition
Good for its age; strong color retention, slight wear consistent with time.

Shipping
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