Choju Giga (Frolicking Birds and Animals)

 

Purpose/ Rationale
Emaki (scroll pictures), which was derived from China, became highly developed in Japan. The pictures of Emaki show Japanese lives and customs in the various periods. Emaki is considered not only as a form of art but also as a visual reference to Japanese life style in different times. Through studying Choju Giga (Frolicking Birds and Animals), one of the representative Sumi-e scroll pictures, students will not only become familiar with Japanese customs, but also learn how to draw with a bamboo brush and India ink.

Objectives
Students will:
1. become familiar with Japanese customs depicted in Choju Giga.
2. know how to read Emaki.
3. try out Sumi-e and practice drawing with a bamboo brush and India ink.

Time Allotment
3 class sessions

Materials
Bamboo brushes
India ink
Paper of drawing, 9512," 1 per student
Paper of drawing with a bamboo brush and India ink, 9512," 2 per student

Visuals
Pictures from Choju Giga
Western-style drawings for students to compare with Sumi-e
A teacher-made Choju Giga that lacks a couple of pictures.

Vocabulary

Culture: Emaki (Scroll Pictures), Sumi-e

Art: Bamboo brushes, India ink

Procedure

Preparation
A teacher will:
1. make Choju Giga that lacks a couple of pictures. (1 hour)

Setup (5 min.)
A teacher will:
1. prepare a slide projector and slides.
2. place bamboo brushes, drawing papers, and India ink on the table.

Look at and Talk about Art (30 min.)
Students will:
1. look at some pictures from Choju Giga and identify Japanese customs, such as Sumo.
2. look at a teacher-made Choju Giga and talk about how to read scroll pictures.
3. compare and contrast Western drawings with Sumi-e.
4. look at the teacher-made example of Choju Giga missing a couple of pictures and imagine the content of the missing scenes.
4. make a group of three to five and create a story for the missing scene.

Create (100 min.)
Students will:
1. practice drawing with a bamboo brush and India ink.
2. sketch ideas about the missing scenes.
3. draw a picture of the missing scene with a bamboo brush and India ink.

Assess and close (20 min.)
Students will:
1. display some of the drawings and talk about how the imaginary story was depicted in the final drawing.
2. discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the use of a bamboo brushes and India ink.

Extension and Enrichment

Social Studies
Explore Japanese life styles and customs in the various periods depicted in scroll pictures.

Literature
Explore the stories based on which scroll pictures are created. These stories include Genji Monogatari, Makurano Soshi, and Heiji Monogatari.

Resources
Okudaira, H. (1976). Emaki: Picture scrolls. Osaka, Japan: Hoikusha. (IU Library: ND 1053.0 36 1976)
Mushakouji, M. (1995). Emaki no Reki-shi. Tokyo, Japan: Yoshikwa Koubunn-kann. (ISBN4-642-06610-1, IU Library: OJ ND 1053. M82 1995)
Japanese Scroll Paintings: Choju Giga. (1959). Tokyo, Japan: Kadikawa Publishing Co. (IU Library: ND 1053 J35 V.3)
Watanabe, S. (1959). The Art of "sumie" drawing. Tokyo; Rutland, Vt.: Imported for sale by Charles E. Tuttle.

 

---

Last updated: 04/06/2004
URL: http://www.indiana.edu/~easc/resources/
Comments:
Copyright 2004, The Trustees of Indiana University