The Monkey King Songokū, from the Chinese novel Journey to the West 1824

This ukiyo-e woodblock print, created in 1824 by artist Yashima Gakutei, depicts Songokū, the Monkey King from the Chinese novel Journey to the West. Songokū is depicted as a powerful and mischievous figure, with a mischievous grin and a cloud of tiny monkeys at his fingertips. The print is a vibrant example of the Edo period's fascination with Chinese literature and mythology, and demonstrates the artist's skill in portraying dynamic action and captivating detail. This work is a great example of the "ukiyo-e" genre, an artistic style that was popular in Japan between the 17th and 19th centuries.