Netsuke: Fox priest
Artist: possibly attributed to Eiraku Tokuzen (Japanese, 1853-1909)
Date: early 19th century
Dimensions:
H: 1 3/4 in. (4.5 cm)
Medium: painted earthenware
Classification: Sculpture
Credit Line: Gift of Richard R. Silverman
Object number: 2009.144
Label Text:Animals composed of intertwined human or animal figures were a popular subject in Indian miniature painting. These fantastical images may have alluded to the Hindu belief in the transmigration of souls—the reincarnated soul coming back again and again to inhabit both human and animal bodies.
The image is painted on wasli, a type of paper invented by Indian miniature painters in which several sheets are glued together in layers and then polished to create a shiny, smooth surface for the paint.
DescriptionKyoto ware.
On view