Ippitsusai Bunchō. Lovers and a literate octopus crossing a stream on a giant shrimp / Chūban, late 18th century.

Artist: Ippitsusai Bunchō [一筆斎文調] (Japanese, 1725–1794)

Signed: Ippitsusai Bunchō ga 一筆齋文調画, seal.

Date: Unknown, late 18th century

Media: Woodblock print (nishiki-e 錦絵); ink and colour on paper; chūban (中判), 266 × 198 mm

A young woman reads a scroll while adjusting her hairpin, as a young man with a pole stands behind her, gazing over her shoulder. The pair rides atop a colossal shrimp as it glides across stylized waves. At their feet sits a literate octopus, intently examining another open scroll. The scene evokes the popular visual trope of “Bodhidharma crossing the Yangzi River on a reed” (Royō Daruma), here humorously reimagined with fantastical marine creatures in place of the traditional elements.

Image from Asian Art Museum in San Francisco:

Masanobu’s mitate playfully evokes the well-known episode of “Bodhidharma crossing the Yangzi River on a reed” (Royō Daruma). According to legend, the crossing took place en route to the Shaolin monastery, where Bodhidharma meditated, facing a wall for nine years in complete silence. While traditional Chinese and Japanese paintings often depict this event with solemn reverence, Edo-period popular prints frequently reimagined the scene with a beautiful woman standing in for the monk. This parodic variation is said to have originated from a courtesan’s remark that she was more enlightened than Bodhidharma, having spent ten years sitting—on display in a brothel.

An interesting article about this design was published at UKIYO-E.ORG BLOG, though the design is erroneously attributed to Harunobu.

We see that Bunchō was quite fascinated by the idea of crossing a water obstacle with the help of an unsuitable means of transportation: