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Monkey
From the collection of Cleveland Museum of Art. Free to download, adapt and use — no permission needed.
About this work
Watching monkeys perform was once a popular form of street entertainment in Japan. Monkeys were outfitted with costumes and learned to perform dances and tricks. Monkeys also serve as the messengers of certain kami , or deities, and pairs of clothed monkey sculptures in wood or stone may be found on either side of the entrance of some jinja , or shrines dedicated to kami . This monkey has a jacket and may have once held bells and a fan. Unfortunately, its original identity and purpose have been lost.
Cleveland Museum of Art’s own descriptionCredit lineMonkey (猿像), possibly 1700s. Japan, Edo period (1615–1868). Wood; overall: 55.3 cm (21 3/4 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Dudley P. Allen Fund, 1924.350
