Three Raccoon Dogs, late 18th century
Mori Sosenexpand_more
Ink and color on silkexpand_more
The Mary Livingston Griggs and Mary Griggs Burke Foundation Endowment Fundexpand_more 2015.77
Not on Viewexpand_more
Celebrated for his depictions of monkeys, Mori Sosen also excelled at capturing the character of other animals. This painting shows a group of three raccoon dogs (tanuki). The naturalistic posing, one scratching itself, seemingly listening, one directly staring at the viewer and the third open-mouthed with its tongue extended, illuminates Sosen’s personal observations of these wild animals. This may be an interpretation of the Chinese proverb typically illustrating monkeys gesturing “Hear no evil, see no evil, and speak no evil.”
Details
- Title
- Three Raccoon Dogs
- Artist Life
- 1747 - 1821
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- 2015.77
- Provenance
- Higuchi Saburōbei, Osaka; (Joan B. Mirviss Ltd.).
- Curator Approved
This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.
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