Fox Spirit in the Guise of a Traveling Monk (Hakuzosu)

19th–20th century

Not on view

The vulpine figure dressed as a traveling monk, gazing intently at a nearby trap, is the protagonist of the popular kyōgen play Tsurigitsune (Fox Hunter). In this comic morality tale, an old fox disguises itself as the monk Hakuzōsu, whose fox-trapper nephew has succeeded in ensnaring most of the fox clan. Recounting a variety of lore about the wily vengeance of the fox, the fox-cum-monk persuades the trapper to give up his trade. This drawing shows the fox prior to heading home, unable to resist the temptation to take the bait from the discarded trap. The trickster ends up caught, to the delight of the chagrined trapper who realizes he has been fooled by a fox in disguise.

The poem on the upper left is by the artist's wife, Haruko:

Hito wo nomi
hakaru to omou
orokasa ni
onore kitsune no
wana ni kakareri.

You who seek to deceive
will find yourself
caught in the fox trap
and foolish.

Artwork Details

Object Information

Overview

Provenance

Exhibition History

Title: Fox Spirit in the Guise of a Traveling Monk (Hakuzosu)
Artist: Tomioka Tessai (Japanese, 1836–1924)
Period: Meiji (1868–1912)–Taishō (1912–26) period
Date: 19th–20th century
Culture: Japan
Medium: Hanging scroll; ink on paper
Dimensions: 20 1/4 x 13 1/4 in. (51.4 x 33.7 cm)
Classification: Paintings
Credit Line: Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Yukikazu Iwasa, in honor of Mrs. Shizuko Iwasa, 1993
Object Number: 1993.476
Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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