『狐草紙』|Tale of the Fox (Kitsune no sōshi)

Unidentified painter and calligrapher

dated 1669 (Kanbun 9) · Handscroll: ink and color on paper · Asian Art

From medieval times through the early Edo period, popular folktales, usually with Buddhist didactic motives, were frequent subjects in both handscroll and book formats. This example, The Tale of the Fox, is about a Buddhist monk who is seduced by a beautiful woman, only to discover that she is actually a mischievous fox. That a monk, who had taken a vow of celibacy, could not resist temptation served as a humorous moral admonition to readers.

Artist

Unidentified painter and calligrapher

Date

dated 1669 (Kanbun 9)

Medium

Handscroll: ink and color on paper

Culture

Japan

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Mary and Cheney Cowles Collection, Gift of Mary and Cheney Cowles, 2020