1829 (Bunsei 12)
47.120
Not currently on view
7-3/16 x 4-7/8 in.
Inscribed: Jo Nei using his sickle-hook spear at Sanjin
Gift of George C. Calvert
Asian Art (Japanese and Korean)
George C. Calvert; given to the John Herron Art Institute, Indianapolis, Indiana, now the Indianapolis Museum of Art at Newfields, in 1947.
Jo Nei (Xú Níng) is described in The Water Margin as over six feet tall, with broad shoulders and sturdy hips, fair of complexion, and sporting a three-part mustache and beard. Hokusai brings him to life in an elegant yet powerful action pose that highlights his fierce, piercing gaze.
His most prized possession was an heirloom suit of armor made from eagle feathers bound with metal and gold. Strong and lightweight, neither blade nor arrow could pierce it. The outlaws stole this armor to lure Jo Nei to their hideout, where he was persuaded to join them. The only known expert of the unique weapon called the hooked lance, he trained the Liangshan forces in its use against the chain-linked armored cavalry of the imperial troops. Making a horse tumble down by hooking its legs caused it to bring down the other horses to which it was chained.
Exhibition Name
Venue
Dates
Metadata about the Indianapolis Museum of Art’s collection comes from Newfields’ records and research. In some cases, information may be incomplete and research is ongoing. Newfields’ goal is to have as up-to-date metadata as possible, therefore, this information is subject to change. Newfields collections’ metadata is available under a Creative Commons Zero (CC0) waiver, which allows for re-use without legal restrictions.
Artworks that appear in the image file(s) above may be in copyright or have other legal and/or cultural restrictions to their use. For clarity, Newfields does not claim copyright to the image files created by Newfields of artworks in the Indianapolis Museum of Art’s collection. Newfields makes every effort to ascertain the copyright status of artworks in the Indianapolis Museum of Art’s collection. Please refer to the RightsStatements.org statement above for information about the current copyright status of the artwork. Additionally, some artworks may include Local Context’s Notices or Labels that attribute cultural authority of the artwork’s heritage and data.
Additional information about Newfields’ reproduction guidelines can be found in the Licensing Resources.
4000 Michigan Road, Indianapolis, Indiana, USA 46208-3326 | 317-923-1331
Copyright © 2024 Newfields. All rights reserved.
This project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services [MA-251861-OMS-22].