Art Institute of Chicago

The Dancing Fox

Artist unknown

Date: 1766
Medium: Color woodblock print; chuban
Culture: Japan
Department: Arts of Asia
Institution: Art Institute of Chicago

A fox dressed as a Shintô priest beats a drum and dances by a shrine, probably Inari Taisha, which was dedicated to the fox god. Part of the name of the drum ( taiko ) sounds like the Japanese word for big or long ( dai ), and this reveals that the numerals appearing in relief on the fox’s clothing are the long months of the year 1766.

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Object type: AAT300041273

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Art Institute of Chicago