Chotou　猪頭

KEY WORD :　art history / paintings

Ch: Zhutou.　A painting subject depicting the Northern Song dynasty eccentric priest Zhimeng (Jp: Shimou 志蒙). He was known as Chotou Oshou 猪頭和尚 (Ch: Zhutou Heshang; Boar's Head Priest), because of his predilection for walking through town carrying the severed head of a boar which he was fond of eating. His family name was Xu 徐 and he lived in Wuzhou, present day Jinhua 金華. In painting he is usually depicted wearing ragged clothes and carrying the boar's head. By some reports Chotou was able to fly, and occasionally he is depicted in mid-air. The fact of his eating meat, flaunting the vegetarian Buddhist diet, has caused Chotou to be associated with the priest *Kensu 硯子, who was fond of shellfish. The image of Chotou came to be worshipped for protection against drought and flood. Chinese paintings of the subject include works attributed to Liang Kai (Jp: Ryoukai 梁楷) and Muqi (Jp: Mokkei 牧谿). Japanese examples include paintings by the Kanou school *Kanouha 狩野派 and a screen painting *fusuma-e 襖絵, in Daitokuji Shinjuan 大徳寺真珠庵 by Hasegawa Touhaku 長谷川等伯 (1539-1610), Kyoto.

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