
Jar with Scenes of Frolicking Xingxing
Unknown Artist
This jar features a design of a monkey-like animal ladling sake into his mouth from a vessel bobbing in waves, along with others trying on sandals and crossing a river. In the 1300s, Chinese literature was a powerful source of inspiration for artistic practice in Japan, and this scene was inspired by the exploits of the mythical xingxing, a beast of ancient Chinese lore for whom people left straw sandals and wine. The xingxing would then recite the names of the ancestors of those who had left them the gifts.
Credit: Leonard C. Hanna, Jr. Fund
1302
Zelkova wood, covered with hemp cloth and colored lacquer, and bronze-plated wood fittings
47.2 cm
1984.8
Image and text: The Cleveland Museum of Art, 2023
Where you'll find this

The Cleveland Museum of Art
Permanent collection