The Lantern Night Excursion of Zhong Kui

Also known as: The Lantern Night Excursion of Zhong Kui; The Lantern Night Excursion of Zhong Kui 鍾馗元夜出遊圖; The Lantern Night Excursion of Chung K'uei

About the Artwork

Here, the demon queller Zhong Kui leads a nightly procession of street entertainers with bare, muscular bodies and demonic faces. Some wear shabby clothes, and all perform stunts and tricks to astound and scare the viewer. In fact, a New Year custom in cities of southeast China had the poor, disguised as demons, process through the streets and play their tricks to clear households of evil spirits and welcome the spring. From right to left, a demonic figure leads the procession and beats a drum; another lifts a large rock; one stands on his hands trying to drink; one balances a jar on his elbow; three hold and wield weapons; one carries a folded chair covered by a cow’s skin; another holds Zhong Kui’s qin (zither), books, brush, and inkstone. At the end of the scroll, two figures offer a cup and bottle of wine to Zhong Kui, who lifts his hand in command.

Inscriptions

Artist's signature [and probable seal]: Yan Qiuyue 顏秋月 Title on frontispiece and 1 seal of Niu Shuyu 鈕樹玉 (1760–1827): Qiuyue mohuan 秋月墨幻 [Qiuyue's Ink Fantasy]. 31 additional seals: 2 of Yang Shiqi 楊士奇 (1365–1444); 2 of An Guo 安國 (1481–1534); 8 of Xiang Yuanbian 項元汴 (1525–1590); 2 of Geng Zhaozhong 耿昭忠 (1640–1686); 4 of Pu Tung 溥侗 (1870–1952); 7 of Tan Jing 譚敬 (1911–1991); 1 of Liu Ting-chih (20th c.); 5 unidentified.; An inscription by Zizhi Shanren 紫芝山人 [probably Jiang Hui 蔣惠], dated 1389; An inscription by Wu Kuan 吳寬 (1436–1504)

Provenance

Yang Shiqi 楊士奇 [1365–1444] An Guo 安國 [1481–1534] Xiang Yuanbian 項元汴 [1525–1590] Geng Zhaozhong 耿昭忠 [1640–1686] Pu Tong 溥侗 [1870–1952] Tan Jing 譚敬 [1911–1991] ?–1961: (Frank Caro [1904–1980], New York, NY, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art) 1961-: The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH

Exhibition history

1000 Jahre Chinesische Malerei. Haus der Kunst, Munich, Mùnich, Germany (organizer) (October 16-December 13, 1959). Year in Review (1961). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (November 1-26, 1961). The Colors of Ink. Asia House Galleries (January 10-March 3, 1974); The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (April 9-May 12, 1974). Looking East: Yuan Dynasty Paintings. Taft Museum of Art, Cincinnati, OH (organizer) (September 15-November 6, 1976). Chinese Paintings: Themes and Techniques. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (February 7-April 5, 1981). Eight Dynasties of Chinese Painting. The Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art (November 7, 1980-January 4, 1981); The Cleveland Museum of Art (February 11-March 29, 1981); Tokyo National Museum (October 4-November 17, 1982). The Twain Shall Meet. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (October 30, 1985-January 5, 1986). Realm of the Immortals: Daoism in the Arts of China. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (February 10-April 10, 1988). Asian Autumn: Masterpieces from the Collection. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (September 17, 1991-January 5, 1992). Highlights of Asian Paintings from The Cleveland Museum of Art. Nara National Museum (organizer) (February 21-March 29, 1998); Suntory Museum of Art (April 28-June 21, 1998). Masterpieces of Early Chinese Painting and Calligraphy in American Collections. Shanghai Museum, Shanghai, China (organizer) (November 1, 2012-January 3, 2013). Silent Poetry: Masterworks of Chinese Painting. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (November 14, 2015-April 24, 2016). Demons, Ghosts, and Goblins in Chinese Art. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (September 8, 2024-January 20, 2025).

Quick Overview

Artist: Yan Hui (Chinese, active 1270–1310)
Date: late 1200s–early 1300s
Medium: handscroll; ink and slight color on silk
Dimensions: Image: 24.8 x 240.3 cm (9 3/4 x 94 5/8 in.); Overall: 25.7 x 904.4 cm (10 1/8 x 356 1/16 in.)
Type: Painting
Classification: Painting
Department: Chinese Art
Credit line: Mr. and Mrs. William H. Marlatt Fund
Accession no.: 1961.206

More by Yan Hui in museum collections

Plum Blossoms in Moonlight
Yan Hui
first half of the 1300s · Painting
Public collection via the Cleveland Museum of ArtAT-00010210

Data retrieved from the Cleveland Museum of Art on October 8, 2026. The museum may have updated its record since.