Object Details
Artist
Nakajima Kaho
Date
1899
Medium
Two-fold screen: ink on paper
Dimensions
Image: 61 1/2 x 68 1/4 inches (156.2 x 173.4 cm)
Overall/Frame: 67 1/4 x 74 inches (170.8 x 188 cm)
Credit Line
New York City Friends Fund
Object
Number
83.037
In this misty night scene, a white fox pauses at the water’s edge as a full moon rises above the h(…)
In this misty night scene, a white fox pauses at the water’s edge as a full moon rises above the hills. Its appearance is an omen of good luck—according to Shinto belief, white foxes are the messengers of Inari, the kami (spirit) of rice and agriculture.Nakajima Kaho came from an artistic lineage of the Maruyama-Shijo school, whose style combined traditional Japanese and Western painting approaches. Focused on naturalistic depictions, Shijo artists employed atmospheric and receding perspective to create a sense of space. Kaho often sold paintings to benefit Seki-hoji temple, which is located near the Fushimi Inari shrine in southern Kyoto, the main shrine for devotion to Inari. (“Moon,” curated by Ellen Avril and presented at the Johnson Museum August 25, 2018-January 13, 2019)
