Wave Crest and the Moon (Translation)
浪花白兔 竹內栖鳳 絹本著色 二重箱 (Primary Title)
Takeuchi Seihō 竹內栖鳳, Japanese, 1864 - 1942 (Artist)
Kyoto-based Takeuchi Seihō depicts a close-up view of a seascape and moon, referencing the White Rabbit of Inaba myth recorded in an 8th-century Japanese chronicle. Although not shown in this painting, the myth tells of a white rabbit (hakuto) from the ancient province of Inaba that was trapped on an island. To free himself, the rabbit deceived sharks into lining up as a bridge for him to walk across to the shore. The moment before he landed, a shark ripped off the rabbit’s skin. With the help of a Shinto deity, the rabbit was healed and became a Shinto deity himself, enshrined in the Hakuto Shrine on the shore, 140 miles north of Kyoto.
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