Mori Sosen “Monkey”

Mori Sosen “Monkey”

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IItem No.
Title “Monkey”
Overall size
Artwork size
Artist Mori Sosen(1747?-1821)
Date Created 1747?-1806
Price Sold

 A small monkey sits with its back rounded. The gesture of staring at his hand is adorable.
 The hair all over the body is made up of countless layers of fine lines to create the soft, fluffy texture that is characteristic of baby monkeys. The tiny tail on the buttocks is also fluffy and extremely adorable. The artist’s ability to observe and reproduce details is astonishing.
 The facial expressions, from the facial features to the shading of the wrinkles around the eyes and mouth, can only be described as lifelike. The expression of the face, with the eyes downcast and the mouth tightly closed, looks as if it is sulking. It looks like a human child.
 If you look at the left hand, it seems to be holding something in its hand. Is it a nut? Or is he waiting for his parent monkey, who is not depicted here, to come and greet him…
 Each of the monkeys by master monkey painter Mori Sosen has a story to tell, drawing the viewer into the picture.

 This work is by Mori Sosen (1747?~1821), known for his exquisite animal paintings. It has been exhibited in many exhibitions in recent years, including the “Three Monkey Painting Brothers” exhibition held at the Osaka Museum of History, and is currently very popular.
 The signature on this work is “祖仙” rather than the later “狙仙,” which suggests that it was made before 1806 (Bunka 3), before the name was changed.


As an antique, it may have some scratches or blemishes. We recommend that you visit our store to check the condition.
If you wish, we will send you detailed photos of the item, so please feel free to contact us.

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