Wednesday, August 09, 2006

Night Games - shadow figures (Japan)

Here are few shadow figures for you to try - you might like to use them as your next party piece. This is a mid 19th century print of a set of 16 shadow figures by Hiroshige II. I can make out what each figure is except the last one in the lower right hand corner.

Any suggestions?

15 comments:

Jean-Luc Picard said...

I had a good look, Florence, and believe the last one is a peacock.

merlyn said...

If you squint it does look like some sort of bird thing...

I need glasses or at least new ones though...

A Army Of (Cl)One said...

I would say a dolphin landing back in water after a dive.

It makes me think of a joke.
_____________________

A psychologist is showing ink blot to a client.

Every time she shows one the client says, It looks like a naked lady.

Finally the psychologist say, “I see your problem, you are obsessed with sex.”

The client replies, “Me?!?! You’re the one who keeps showing me all the dirty pictures”


The moral of this story is Vote for AOC this week on LGS (like that, how smooth I worked that in?)

Florence Forrest said...

I like your ideas. I too thought it was some kind of bird. However there are a few things that perplex me. Peacocks don't have stubby heads or crow like beaks. If it didn't have a beak I might have said a carp fish.

AOC your suggestion of a dolfin was a good one but it doesn't explain the obvious effort to make some kind of feather type effect with the folded paper (unless that could be the water splashing).

Maybe its one of those puzzles where one day you just wake up and say "Ha! I know its a ..."

But until then, lets call it a Dolfin Bird :D Impress you friends when you tell them the story about Dolfin Birds and how they are now extinct and only exist in shadow figure illustrations like this one.

and AOC your quite shameless, but I guess that's not unusual in the LGS :D

A Army Of (Cl)One said...

Yes, I am quite shameless. No really, you should vote for the best story (notice how I didn't say best writer, then Prof X would win)

I thought the fan shadow was to make a splash, which is why I went with Dolphin. But then again it is art and all art is open to interpretation (except anything done by Paris Hilton)

Jean-Luc Picard said...

It's true; like pictures a psychiatrist shows; they can be whatever one interprets them to be.

Ramona said...

Florence, I did try these at home and ended up with a very weird bunny with an overbite.

Gabby Girl said...

You should try finding someone that can read Japanese characters. That may help in trying to figure out what the mystery shadow figure is.

Gabrielle

Shannon Garson said...

I think it is a bird sitting on an old stump.

Florence Forrest said...

AOC I thought your dolfin sugestion was very good. gold star for you.

JL, I think interpretation is an interesting area however if left too open could cause the disintergration of meaning and communication - For unlike the psychiatrist ink blots these pictures are actually meant to be something to begin with. That said I'm all for the imagination's wide net.

Ramona, I will also give you a gold star for attempting the shadow figures. There's nothing like experimentation to reveal the hidden bunny with over bite. lol

Gabby Girl, thanks for dropping by :D
Your suggestion is most apt and scolarly.

Shannon, I see where your coming from the bird+stump picture also came to mind :)

To all xxxs and ooos

Liana Kabel said...

A penguin sliding towards it little hatchling through the harsh Antarctic winter.

Florence Forrest said...

Lani, that is soo cute :)

Wayne Joseph Kington said...

Go to the far side of the room, then, run at your computer monitor with your eyes closed. When you can run no further, open your eyes suddenly. And there in front of you is a dove sitting atop of thingamy.

Florence Forrest said...

WJ, Ah I see what you mean! lol

peter said...

it is amazing, thanks for sharing it with us