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Monkey Leader and Monkey Under a Willow Tree

Artist/Maker (Japanese, 1711–1785)
Datelate 1750s–early 1760s
MediumWoodblock print (benizuri-e); ink and limited color on paper
DimensionsVertical hosoban; overall: 12 3/16 × 5 11/16 in. (31 × 14.5 cm)
Credit LineMary A. Ainsworth Bequest
Object number1950.207
Status
Not on view
More Information
It was widely believed that monkeys possessed the special ability to exorcise the illnesses of horses during the Edo period of Japan (1603–1868). Monkey leaders, or trainers, were commissioned to stage performances in front of horses so they could stay healthy and strong. In this print, the willow in the background symbolizes the arrival of spring, the season when monkey leaders were most active. The willow was believed to have the power to purify the world, here referencing the act of exorcism. The gentle curves and branches of the willow echo the feminine nature of the monkey trainer, as the poem inscribed on the image indicates: “The monkey leader is gentle in the light: a willowy waist.”
Exhibition History
Exploring Reciprocity: The Power of Animals in Non-Western Art
  • Allen Memorial Art Museum, Oberlin, OH (January 31, 2017 - June 4, 2017 )
Collections
  • Asian