Monkey trying to catch a catfish with a gourd, late 19th century
Unknown Japaneseexpand_more
Ink on paperexpand_more
Gift of Harriet and Edson Spencerexpand_more 99.59.34
Not on Viewexpand_more
Kōans are seemingly nonsensical questions that a Zen master would ask his pupils, and among the most famous kōans is this one: "How to catch a slippery catfish with a smooth gourd." In the 15th century, a court painter made the first known painting of this subject. By the early 18th century, a more humorous take on the phrase began to appear in Ōtsu-e, the simple folk paintings that originated in the town of Ōtsu, on Lake Biwa—a monkey hopelessly trying to achieve the impossible.
Details
- Title
- Monkey trying to catch a catfish with a gourd
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- 99.59.34
- Curator Approved
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