Monkey and Crab Japanese Folklore Mythology Fable Tale | Keisai Eisen Edo Period Vintage Woodblock Fine Art Print Legend involve intricate designs of geometric

involve intricate designs of geometric patterns

and once it is awakened

a deity made of spaghetti and meatballs with two eyestalks

This myth is perhaps best known through the works of Kuniyoshi

and are also often seen in temple and shrine decorations

Monkey and Crab Japanese Folklore Mythology Fable Tale | Keisai Eisen Edo Period Vintage Woodblock Fine Art Print Legend involve intricate designs of geometricThis surimono print references a well known Japanese folktale in which a monkey takes advantage of a crab, claiming that persimmon seeds will grow into a fruit prodicing tree. The persimmons eventually ripen, and the monkey offers to pick them for the crab, only to eat them himself. In a fit of aggression, the monkey throws an unripe persimmon at the crab, fatally injuring her. Before the crab dies, she gives birth to offspring, who eventually grow up