Currently not on view
Monkey Reaching for the Moon's Reflection,
16th century
Toki Tōbun 土岐洞文, 1502–1582
Japanese
Muromachi period, 1333–1568
1998-313
In this painting, Tōbun draws on a common theme in Zen paintings: a monkey trying to capture the moon’s reflection in water. The image derives from a Buddhist story in which five hundred monkeys hold onto each other’s tails and attempt to seize the reflection of a moon in a well; they fail when the branch from which they are hanging breaks. The monkeys stand for unenlightened people who cannot distinguish between reality and illusion. Very little is known about Toki Tōbun, so some believe him to be Toki Yorinori, a warrior-painter famous for his depictions of hawks and a member of the Toki family of samurai in Mino province.
Information
Title
Monkey Reaching for the Moon's Reflection
Dates
16th century
Maker
Medium
Hanging scroll; ink on paper
Dimensions
Painting: 85 x 34 cm. (33 7/16 x 13 3/8 in.)
Mount: 165.5 x 45 cm. (65 3/16 x 17 11/16 in.)
Credit Line
Bequest of John B. Elliott, Class of 1951
Object Number
1998-313
Place Made
Asia, Japan
Marks/Labels/Seals
"Kōgetsu" 江月, rectangular relief, bottom right
Culture
Period
Materials
Subject
–1998 John B. Elliott (Princeton, NJ), by bequest to the Princeton University Art Museum, 1998.
