Beggar (Kojiki)1871 · Study 1988.73

Context from the museum

The Japanese term for beggar, kojiki, derives from the word kotsujiki, which refers to Buddhist monks taking bowls from door to door to request sustenance. The son of the artist Suian Bunrō, Suian Hirafuku was born in Kakunodate in Japan’s northern Akita prefecture. When he was 16, he went to study in Kyoto. In 1880 he took first place with another painting titled Beggar at the third Akita Prefectural Industrial Exposition, and in 1890, he took second prize for technical achievement with Nursing Tigress at the third National Industrial Exposition.

Museum description reproduced from its CC0 open-access record. Read the original catalog entry.

Read the dimensions before the image

The selected painting only measurement for Beggar (Kojiki) is 70.8 cm wide and 141 cm high, equivalent to approximately 27.9 × 55.5 inches. Dividing width by height gives a format ratio of 0.50:1. The rectangular bounding area is 1.00 square meters; it describes the measured footprint, not the amount of paint or the monetary value.

On an illustrative 300 cm wall, the recorded width occupies 23.6% of the span before adding a frame. A centered placement leaves approximately 114.6 cm on each side before adding a frame. These are calculations by Physical Art For Crypto using museum measurements. They are not the museum’s display recommendations.

Questions to bring to your own collection

With Beggar (Kojiki) in view, identify one feature you can point to, then distinguish what the museum records from your personal response. Keep its medium, hanging scroll; ink on paper, in your notes when comparing contemporary works.

• Which part of this vertical composition catches your eye first?
• Would a 70.8 cm width still suit the space after allowing for furniture and a frame?
• What surface detail would you need to see in person or in a close photograph?