Capitalizing on the delicate ink tonalities of traditional ink painting, Zeshin created this woodblock print composition of white mice. Mice have long been emblematic of fertility in Japan, and white mice were considered especially auspicious. In Japanese folklore, Daikokuten, the god of agriculture, employs white mice as his messengers. In commemoration of the Year of the Rat in Asian astrological calendar, artists created the images featuring white mice. It is likely that Zeshin was commissioned to produce this image for such an occasion. 
Artist: Shibata Zeshin
Title: White Mice
Date: 1880 c.
Signed: Zeshin
Seal: Koman
Format: Oban
 
 13 3/4'' x 10''
 
Illus #56 Sharaku-Toyokuni by Louis Ledoux #74.1.289 M.I.A.