Otsu-e Monkey Picture Edo Period/1603-1867CE

This is a well-preserved Otsu-e painting on a wooden board from the Edo period. The design was originally inspired by the Zen painting "Gourd and Catfish," and in Otsu-e it has been adapted to depict a monkey holding down a catfish with a gourd. It is a satire of people trying to do something that goes against reason, and conveys the atmosphere of the time.