A Gathering of Blind Men (群盲の図, Gunmō no zu)
One Hundred Pictures by Kyōsai (暁斎百図, Kyōsai Hyakuzu) - Plate 29
One Hundred Pictures by Kyōsai (暁斎百図, Kyōsai Hyakuzu) - Plate 29
This composition depicts a chaotic assembly of blind men engaged in animated conversation and mutual examination. Some touch objects and each other, others argue or gesticulate wildly, while a seated elder in a red court hat observes the disorder with detachment.
The scene combines physical comedy with social satire, turning what might seem a moral anecdote into a grotesque portrayal of human folly. Kyōsai’s use of overlapping figures and contrasting gestures gives the image a theatrical rhythm reminiscent of Edo street performance and kyōgen humor.
Context and Interpretation
In Edo-period visual culture, depictions of blind men (mōjin) often referred to organized guilds of blind masseurs (anma) and musicians. Kyōsai transforms this theme into a comic social allegory, highlighting confusion, mimicry, and collective delusion.
While the motif recalls the Buddhist parable of the blind men (群盲), there is no elephant or specific moral lesson here — only the artist’s fascination with the absurdity of human argument and the collapse of reason..
Kawanabe Kyōsai
Woodblock print, ca. 1863–1866
From the series: One Hundred Pictures by Kyōsai (暁斎百図, Kyōsai Hyakuzu)
Format: small-format sheet (koban-ban), first edition
Publisher: Wakasaya Yoichi (若狭屋与市)
Dimensions: approx. 13 × 18 cm
Medium: polychrome woodblock print (nishiki-e) on handmade washi paper
Edition & Printing Details
This sheet belongs to the first edition of Kyōsai Hyakuzu, published between 1863–1866.
Note
This description is part of an evolving research project. Very few collections of this kind exist worldwide, and each newly studied sheet refines our understanding of the series. The catalogue will be continuously updated and expanded — leaving room for fresh interpretations, new connections, and unexpected discoveries that keep the collection alive and intriguing.
The scene combines physical comedy with social satire, turning what might seem a moral anecdote into a grotesque portrayal of human folly. Kyōsai’s use of overlapping figures and contrasting gestures gives the image a theatrical rhythm reminiscent of Edo street performance and kyōgen humor.
Context and Interpretation
In Edo-period visual culture, depictions of blind men (mōjin) often referred to organized guilds of blind masseurs (anma) and musicians. Kyōsai transforms this theme into a comic social allegory, highlighting confusion, mimicry, and collective delusion.
While the motif recalls the Buddhist parable of the blind men (群盲), there is no elephant or specific moral lesson here — only the artist’s fascination with the absurdity of human argument and the collapse of reason..
Kawanabe Kyōsai
Woodblock print, ca. 1863–1866
From the series: One Hundred Pictures by Kyōsai (暁斎百図, Kyōsai Hyakuzu)
Format: small-format sheet (koban-ban), first edition
Publisher: Wakasaya Yoichi (若狭屋与市)
Dimensions: approx. 13 × 18 cm
Medium: polychrome woodblock print (nishiki-e) on handmade washi paper
Edition & Printing Details
This sheet belongs to the first edition of Kyōsai Hyakuzu, published between 1863–1866.
Note
This description is part of an evolving research project. Very few collections of this kind exist worldwide, and each newly studied sheet refines our understanding of the series. The catalogue will be continuously updated and expanded — leaving room for fresh interpretations, new connections, and unexpected discoveries that keep the collection alive and intriguing.