Old Raccoon Dog (tanuki) in a Dense Grove of Bamboo

Artist: Konoshima Ōkoku, Japanese, 1877–1938
Period: possibly Meiji period, 1868–1912
Period: possibly Taishō period, 1912–1926
Date: early 20th century
Material: Hanging scroll: ink on silk
made in: Kyoto, Kyoto urban prefecture, Japan, Asia
Classification: Paintings
Collection: Asian Art
Current Location: Not on view
Dimensions: image: 55 3/16 × 19 7/8 in. (140.2 × 50.5 cm)
scroll: 90 3/8 × 25 1/2 in. (229.6 × 64.8 cm)
width from roller end to roller end: 28 in. (71.1 cm)
wooden storage box: 2 15/16 × 3 1/4 × 28 7/8 in. (7.5 × 8.3 × 73.3 cm)
outer paper storage box: 3 1/8 × 3 3/8 × 29 in. (7.9 × 8.6 × 73.7 cm)
Credit Line: The Langenberg Endowment Fund and Museum Shop Fund
Rights: Public Domain
Object Number: 241:1989

NOTES

In this nocturnal scene, misty stalks of bamboo are silhouetted against an indistinct moon, while a raccoon dog (tanuki) prowls on an ink-wash ground below. This small wild dog, native to Asia, has been a character in Japanese folklore since ancient times. The animal is reputed to be mischievous and jolly, a master of disguise and shape-shifting, but quite gullible and absent-minded.

The artist Konoshima Ōkoku was born in Kyōto. As a second son of his family, he was sent to study at the local industrial school. However, his urge to paint prevailed, and in 1893 he became a pupil of both a Confucian scholar of Chinese calligraphy and a master of the Shijō school of Japanese painting.

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