Minneapolis Institute of Art

Skeletons Holding Seals

Doi GōgaLinkedCulture matchlcp-dd2bcc696155

Date: second half 19th century
Medium: Hanging scroll, ink on paper
Department: Asian Art
Institution: Minneapolis Institute of Art
Object ID: 118073

From the Minneapolis Institute of Art record

Five inky skeletons with spindly limbs dance around, two of whom grasp seals in their bony hands. We can see right through their ribcages but elsewhere their bodies have the bulk and mass of the living; indeed, they are very much alive, and although they raise their hands as if to scare, they appear more comical than ominous. Doi, a Confucian scholar and teacher, was known as an eccentric, and his playful side is evident in these dancing figures. The red seals bear writing in seal script, one of the earliest forms of writing, while the accompanying poem at the top right is written in cursive. 無論君体評妍魄唯觀髑髏之活動 It does not matter if you are blessed with a beautiful form; Just look at the actions of your skull Japan, Asia

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Provenance & credit

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Credit line: Gift of the Clark Center for Japanese Art & Culture

Part of a LinkedCulture topic

French Animalier Bronze Sculptures
These objects are French bronze animal sculptures from the 19th-early 20th century animalier tradition, which specialized in realistic depictions of wildlife and domestic animals.
62 objects from 5 institutions