Three Wise Monkeys - Figure - Unknown (No reserve price)

This is a hand-carved wooden figurine of the Three Wise Monkeys, known worldwide by the motto "Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil." The symbolism—the three monkeys embody the virtue of not looking at what is bad, not listening to what is bad, and not speaking evil oneself. In Japanese, each monkey has a name that forms a pun on the word for monkey (*saru*/*zaru*) Mizaru (left): Covers the eyes ("sees no evil"). Kikazaru (middle): Covers the ears ("hears no evil"). Iwazaru (right): Covers the mouth ("speaks no evil"). The spiritual philosophy behind this symbol has its deepest roots in the ancient texts of the Chinese philosopher Confucius. The visual motif of the three monkeys became truly world-famous through an iconic 17th-century wood carving on the sacred stables of the Tōshō-gū shrine in Nikkō, Japan.

Estimate:$1.12

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