Ono no Tofu Standing on the Bank of a Stream and Watching a Frog Leap to Catch a Willow Branch
Totoya Hokkei Japanese
Not on view
Classical subjects, from both literature and history, often attracted the surimono artists. Strolling by a stream, Ono no Tofu (894–964), a court calligrapher, dejectedly thinks about resigning from the court. He stops to watch a determined frog attempt a high upward leap onto a willow branch. After countless futile efforts, the frog finally succeeds. Inspired by its perseverance, Ono no Tofu decides to stay on.
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