Karako with an Oversized Sake Cup

From an untitled series of karako (Chinese boys) in playful poses with animals or auspicious objects, this print shows a plump boy holding an lacquered ōsakazuki (giant sake cup) over his head. The sakazuki is a visual metaphor for auspicious celebration and longevity. In front of him is a plum branch in a sake flask. The child wears a dudou 肚兜, a traditional Chinese undergarment like a bib meant to keep a baby’s belly warm and protect him from bad spirits or illness (in Japanese this is usually referred to as a haragake 腹掛け). Here the dudou is decorated with the image of a rabbit.

The prints in the series have stylized cloud bands above; see also an image of a karako playing with a monkey (JP1698). Since all of the known images include an animal of the East Asian zodiac it is safe to assume it was conceived as a set of a dozen prints, though very few examples survive and impossible to verify.