Sketch of Ibaraki-dōji — Shibata Zeshin (Japanese, 1807–1891) — The Cleveland Museum of Art · Mr. and Mrs. William H. Marlatt Fund · CC0. Museum object record ↗

Painting study · Ink painting

Sketch of Ibaraki-dōjic. 1840 · Study 1990.6

Shibata Zeshin (Japanese, 1807–1891)
c. 1840

Recorded as hanging scroll, ink on paper, this horizontal work measures 172.2 × 161 cm using the museum’s painting only dimensions. Explore the museum’s context and compare the format with a wall of your choice.

Explore its scale ↓Shop Lei-Kol paintings

Museum collection reference. This work is not offered for sale by Physical Art For Crypto. Museum attribution does not imply a partnership or endorsement.

Context from the museum

Even before the arrival of US ships demanding trade, Japan’s military government was experiencing economic challenges. This preparatory drawing is for a wooden plaque to be offered to a shrine, beseeching divine intervention in business affairs. Commissioned by a wholesalers’ union, it shows the demon Ibaraki-dōji reclaiming his arm from a warrior who, according to legend, had cut it off. The repossession of the arm is a metaphor for the union’s desire for the restoration of rights to sell sugar, which had been rescinded by the government as part of a misguided effort to stabilize the economy.

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

A detail to notice

The demon Ibaraki, having disguised itself as the aunt of warrior Minamoto no Yorimitsu to gain access to its severed limb, is shown is in the midst of transforming back into demon form.

Observation supplied by the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Read the dimensions before the image

The selected painting only measurement for Sketch of Ibaraki-dōji is 172.2 cm wide and 161 cm high, equivalent to approximately 67.8 × 63.4 inches. Dividing width by height gives a format ratio of 1.07:1. The rectangular bounding area is 2.77 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 57.4% of the span before adding a frame. A centered placement leaves approximately 63.9 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 Sketch of Ibaraki-dōji 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 horizontal composition catches your eye first?
Would a 172.2 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?

Explore physical scale

How large would this format feel on your wall?

Use this museum work’s recorded format as a reference. Adjust a blank wall and optional frame allowance to compare proportions. The museum painting is an educational reference and is not for sale here.

Units

Wall width (cm)

Wall height (cm)

Frame each side (cm)

57.4%of wall width, including allowance

172.2 × 161.0 cmmodeled outside dimensions

Within the entered wall dimensions63.9 cm each side when centered

Calculation: outside width = recorded width + twice your frame allowance. This is a proportion study, not an installation assessment. It excludes furniture, hardware, load capacity, depth and delivery clearance. The display image may include margins absent from the recorded measurement.

Compare formats with the studio collection

These Lei-Kol works have the closest width-to-height ratios in the current catalog. This is a geometry comparison, not a claim of artistic similarity, equivalent value, or association with the museum artist.