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Secondary sourcePaintingc. 1802-1816

The Three Vinegar Tasters

Kanō Isen'in · c. 1802-1816

An Edo-period Japanese painting depicting Confucius, Buddha, and Laozi tasting vinegar, an allegory of the three teachings.

Laozi appears here as one of three sages in a famous allegory about differing philosophies.

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Ink and light color painting on a grey-beige silk or paper ground of three elderly men in traditional robes and tall dark hats, gathered closely around a large tub. The central man is set back, and the two in front lean in toward the tub. A red seal and signature appear at the lower left.
Kanō Isen'in, The Three Vinegar Tasters, Edo period, c. 1802-1816. Honolulu Museum of Art.

About this source

What it is

This ink and color painting on paper by Kanō Isen'in, made in the Edo period (c. 1802-1816), shows three elderly men in traditional robes gathered around a tub of vinegar. It is held at the Honolulu Museum of Art.

Why it matters

The painting illustrates a famous allegory known as 'The Three Vinegar Tasters,' representing Confucius, Buddha, and Laozi each tasting the same vinegar and reacting differently—symbolizing their differing philosophies about life. It shows how Japanese artists used Laozi's image centuries later to comment on the relationship between Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism.

Look closer

  • What might each man's expression or posture suggest about his reaction to the vinegar?
  • Why would an artist choose vinegar as a symbol for comparing philosophies?
  • What does this painting suggest about how these three traditions were understood together in Japan?

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

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