The Dancing Fox
1766
Medium
Color woodblock print; chuban
Dimensions
25.2 × 18.8 cm (9 15/16 × 7 7/16 in.)
Classification
woodblock print
Department
Arts of Asia
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
36297
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
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.
About the Artist
Unknown
The artist designated as "Unknown" in our virtual museum's collection exemplifies a poignant chapter in art history: creators whose identities have faded into obscurity despite the enduring power of their work. With only one known artwork attributed to them in our holdings, this figure represents countless anonymous hands that shaped visual culture across centuries. Museums worldwide, including th...