Snapshots of the Past

[Woman and man digging money out of a giant's navel] – Antique Wall Art

[Woman and man digging money out of a giant's navel], [ca. 183-] — historic print
[Woman and man digging money out of a giant's navel], [ca. 183-]. Historic print from the Japanese Prints collection.

(Originally scanned by the Library of Congress. Each image is professionally and digitally cleaned of artifacts such as color bars and extra borders prior to printing.)

Description

A window into the past: [Woman and man digging money out of a giant's navel], preserved in this historic print. Sourced directly from the Library of Congress, it represents an authentic piece of documented history.

Order it framed and ready to hang, or unframed to match a frame you already love. It makes a striking addition to a living room, study or office, and a thoughtful gift. Free shipping in the lower 48 states. Snapshots of the Past, founded in 2001, has served tens of thousands of customers worldwide.

[Woman and man digging money out of a giant's navel]

Order a print

Secure checkout · SSL encryptedPowered by Stripe and PayPal

Free shipping in the lower 48 states. The checkout page shows the picture, size and price before you pay.

Sign up for our newsletter

Sent securely. No purchase needed. Unsubscribe anytime.

Ask about licensing or this print

Here a man and a woman dig coins out of a giant's navel, working the hollow as if it were a strongbox. The scene comes from *Kotowaza heso no yadogae*, a ten-volume collection of Japanese proverbs published in Ōsaka by Wataya Kihē, and its humor depends on taking a saying literally and drawing the result. Printed in color from woodcut blocks and dated to about the 1830s, the page belongs to the ukiyo-e tradition of popular illustrated books, which spread wit and everyday humor to a wide readership. The Library of Congress catalogued it under a title devised by its staff.

Created / published[ca. 183-]
Medium1 print : woodcut, color.
Genreorganized by the Library of Congress, 2001.
SubjectsPage in: Kotowaza heso no yadogae. 10-hen. Ōsaka : Wataya Kihē han, [18--?]. Title devised by Library staff. Published in: The floating world of Ukiyo-e : shadows, dreams, and substance / essays by Sandy Kita ... [et al.], New York : Abrams in association with the Library of Congress, 2001, p. 90. Exhibited: The Floating world of Ukiyo-e: shadows
SourceLibrary of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division
Original scan3,689 × 4,565 px · prints to 12 × 15 in at 300 dpi
ReferenceAMZ-SOTP-HPA-222102

More from the Japanese Prints collection

Snapshots of the Past helps heritage brands, museums, historians and storytellers tell stories with history: historic prints, image licensing and historical storytelling drawn from more than 25 years of research and curation.

Related pictures

[Portly man walking with arms outstretched][Portly man walking with arms outstretched]Japanese woodblock print of a seated man beside a mirrorJapanese woodblock print of a seated man beside a mirrorWoman holding a fan in patterned kimono, Japanese printWoman holding a fan in patterned kimono, Japanese printYamachichi monster attacking a sleeping man, Japanese woodblock printYamachichi monster attacking a sleeping man, Japanese woodblock printSeated bearded man in court hat, Japanese ink drawing pageSeated bearded man in court hat, Japanese ink drawing page[Japanese woman wearing wire spectacles][Japanese woman wearing wire spectacles]