Primary sourcePaintingc. 1848

The Tea-Kettle Raccoon

Katsushika Hokusai · c. 1848

A hanging scroll painting by Hokusai, made upside down, depicting the Japanese legend of a tanuki transformed into a monk with a tea kettle.

Hokusai painted this scroll near the end of his life, showing his continued skill and interest in folklore.

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Ink painting in grey wash of a tanuki, a raccoon-dog, shown as a hooded figure in a dark robe kneeling beside a round iron tea kettle with a lid and handles, with steam rising. A folding fan lies on the floor at lower left. Two characters are written in ink at upper right, with two more at upper left. — Katsushika Hokusai, The Tea-Kettle Raccoon (Gyakuhitsu Bunbuku chagama zu), c. 1848. William Sturgis Bigelow Collection.

About this source

What it is

This is a hanging scroll painted by Katsushika Hokusai around 1848, held in the William Sturgis Bigelow Collection. The ink painting shows a tanuki, a raccoon-dog, transformed into a hooded monk kneeling beside a steaming iron tea kettle, alluding to the Japanese legend of Bunbuku Chagama at Morin-ji temple. The title notes that it was painted upside down.

Why it matters

This work shows Hokusai's playful skill and his engagement with Japanese folklore late in life. Painting a scene upside down was a display of technical virtuosity, showing how he continued to experiment even near the end of his career.

Look closer

What details tell you this figure is meant to be a tanuki rather than a human monk?
Why might an artist choose to paint a scene upside down as a demonstration of skill?
What does the choice of a folk legend as subject matter suggest about Hokusai's audience?

This painting is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Hokusai on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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