Images
https://piction.clevelandart.org/cma/ump.di?e=D1BACAE320090EC617F52ED4C551B89EA83AEAC1DC74435C5C1BB0ED8CC53E69&s=24247294&se=1440905054&v=0&f=2015.478_o2.jpg
https://piction.clevelandart.org/cma/ump.di?e=2C63921A729592F0A94E3C07781254F0DA56A27BAA3A973382F5248A65A58C22&s=24247294&se=1440905054&v=0&f=%5C2015.478det01_o2.jpg
https://piction.clevelandart.org/cma/ump.di?e=2C63921A729592F0F99B3DE9972CCC69CE0DD0BF644B95B7E90141FF2A376CC3&s=24247294&se=1440905054&v=0&f=%5C2015.478det02_o2.jpg
https://piction.clevelandart.org/cma/ump.di?e=A71734F237BD4188AE2320141D58B8F3320189253DB8DBE6544B062AA9B1D3E9&s=24247294&se=1440905054&v=0&f=%5C2015.478det03_o2.jpg
https://piction.clevelandart.org/cma/ump.di?e=A71734F237BD4188DA3BEE4F9CD2E7ABB649178A739C95ACFEDC198456D01649&s=24247294&se=1440905054&v=0&f=%5C2015.478det04_o2.jpg
https://piction.clevelandart.org/cma/ump.di?e=78E6AC5F1C44C7777ECE8E26C376B933FE4246A0E0FB9F1C476A8B3F5AEEF29A&s=24247294&se=1440905054&v=0&f=%5C2015.478det05_o2.jpg
https://piction.clevelandart.org/cma/ump.di?e=78E6AC5F1C44C777C2B0B8DEA6CADC32CE3A545467C33CE516C2E61A9230D918&s=24247294&se=1440905054&v=0&f=%5C2015.478det06_o2.jpg
https://piction.clevelandart.org/cma/ump.di?e=76C5D126DA1E5F142A174F2FD33931B06EEEA6B3DB2C0901B59E66555984BB7B&s=24247294&se=1440905054&v=0&f=%5C2015.478det07_o2.jpg
https://piction.clevelandart.org/cma/ump.di?e=545397445C799872127AD93EACA10177D770B3EB37F7DA49CFDE57C91FD023D1&s=24247294&se=1440905054&v=0&f=%5C2015.478det08_o2.jpg
https://piction.clevelandart.org/cma/ump.di?e=545397445C79987212CC5F469AD6A8C8E15D82B439FCE3C6F2C9BAC679B310E5&s=24247294&se=1440905054&v=0&f=%5C2015.478det09_o2.jpg
https://piction.clevelandart.org/cma/ump.di?e=8C30DB5E592FC1373A9D0945F3D902B57789A4A89419683E8D867E3F3E8758D6&s=24247294&se=1440905054&v=0&f=%5C2015.478det10_o2.jpg
https://piction.clevelandart.org/cma/ump.di?e=8C30DB5E592FC137E504AD2921F778A888974E9CB7898F9974CF896B9F7CD57C&s=24247294&se=1440905054&v=0&f=%5C2015.478det11_o2.jpg
Jul 21, 2016
Jul 21, 2016
Jul 21, 2016
Jul 25, 2016
Jul 25, 2016
Jul 25, 2016
Jul 25, 2016
Jul 25, 2016
Jul 25, 2016
Jul 25, 2016
Jul 25, 2016
Jul 25, 2016
Gibbons Reaching for the Moon
Gibbons Reaching for the Moon
1600s
Kano Tan’yū 狩野探幽
(Japanese, 1602–1674)
(1615-1868)
Hanging scroll; ink and light color on silk
Painting: 170 x 33.9 cm (66 15/16 x 13 3/8 in.); Overall with knobs: 234 x 40.1 cm (92 1/8 x 15 13/16 in.)
Gift from the Collection of George Gund III 2015.478
Location
Download and Share
Description
Long-armed gibbons form a chain to reach down from a tree, hoping to touch what they believe is the moon. In fact, the orb remaining beyond their grasp is the full moon’s reflection in the still surface of a pond or lake. The image is a common metaphor for the deluded mind in Buddhist thought. Gibbons do not live in Japan but were known to Japanese painters of the premodern era through paintings brought from China.
Contact us
The information about this object, including provenance, may not be currently accurate. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@clevelandart.org.
To request more information about this object, study images, or bibliography, contact the Ingalls Library Reference Desk.
All images and data available through Open Access can be downloaded for free. For images not available through Open Access, a detail image, or any image with a color bar, request a digital file from Image Services.