Depiction of the "kitsune" character "Kuzunoha" ("The White Fox of Shinoda") ·  Japan · ID: 3049216

Description

brush drawing on paper, colored, in passepartout and glazed frame

In Japanese folklore, “kitsune” represent foxes, to which supernatural abilities and special cleverness are attributed. They are able to take on human form.

Such a fox transformed into a beautiful young woman called “Kuzunoha”, with whom the young nobleman “Abe no Yasuna” fell in love and took her as his wife. She bears him a child, “Seimei”.

When she returns to her life in the wild years later, she writes her husband “Yasuna” a farewell poem (with her mouth), asking him to come to see her in Shinoda Forest. This scene is depicted in the present brush drawing.

“Yasuna” and his son search for “Kuzunoha”, and eventually she appears to them as a fox. Revealing that she is the “kami”, or spirit, of Shinoda Shrine, she gives her son “Seimei” a gift, allowing him to understand the language of animals.