Artwork
右都御史筆 麝香猫図|Musk Cat
右都御史筆 麝香猫図|Musk Cat is an ink painting by the Joseon dynasty painting artist Uto Gyoshi. It dates from 1574 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
These three motifs constitute its iconographic program, reflecting the still‑life genre prevalent in Japanese painting of the period.
The painting titled 右都御史筆 麝香猫図 (Musk Cat) portrays an African civet together with a bird and a flower, rendered in ink and color on a hanging scroll created in 1574 in Japan. These three motifs constitute its iconographic program, reflecting the still‑life genre prevalent in Japanese painting of the period. The work is part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art collection, underscoring its significance as a representation of natural subjects in early modern Japanese art.
Technique & Style
The work 右都御史筆 麝香猫図|Musk Cat is executed as a hanging scroll painted in ink with added color on paper. The support is a paper substrate configured in the traditional hanging-scroll format, allowing the piece to be displayed by suspension from a rod. The composition belongs to the still-life genre and portrays an African civet alongside a bird and a flower, rendered through layered ink outlines supplemented with subtle pigment washes.
Dating to 1574, the painting was produced in Japan and later entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Its formal qualities reflect a restrained use of line and muted coloration typical of late Muromachi still‑life scrolls.
History & Provenance
The hanging scroll titled 右都御史筆 麝香猫図 (Musk Cat) was executed by the Japanese painter Uto Gyoshi in 1574. It is rendered in ink and color on paper and depicts an African civet, a bird and a flower. According to the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the work was created in Japan and entered the museum’s collection, where it is catalogued as part of the paintings genre and still‑life category.
The dating is confirmed by both the artist’s recorded date of 1574 and the museum’s inception entry of 1574‑01‑01. No documentation of the original commission or patron is provided in the sources.
The hanging scroll titled Musk Cat, painted by Uto Gyoshi in 1574, is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. While the work is identified as part of the museum's holdings and classified as a painting depicting an African civet, bird, and flower, the provided records do not specify a unique accession or inventory number for this piece. Furthermore, there is no information available in the current sources regarding any past or present exhibitions where this specific artwork has been displayed.
Overview
This hanging scroll, titled Musk Cat, was created by Uto Gyoshi in 1574. Executed with ink and color on paper, the painting presents a natural scene featuring an African civet. The animal is depicted crouching on a rock, observing two birds perched in the branches of a nearby plant, which also bears delicate pink blossoms.
Context
During the period of this painting's creation, the African civet was not native to Japan, making its appearance in art a reflection of cultural exchange and curiosity about distant lands. The animal's exotic status would have made it a compelling subject for artists, who likely encountered such creatures through trade or imported illustrations, rather than direct observation in their natural habitat.
Artist & collection
