Taotie

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An ongoing gallery of drypoint etching

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Taotie

Drypoint etching, 100×150, May 2022

Series: Mythical Chinese monsters

The Taotie (Tōtetsu in Japanese) is a mythical Chinese monster. Its body is a bull’s, with curved horns, a tiger’s fangs, and a human’s face. The meanings of the Chinese characters in its name are ‘covet food’ (Tao) and ‘covet property’ (Tie). The belief that it ‘eats evil things’ came out of the impression that the monster eats anything, and then it started to have the meaning of a talisman in later years.

Zashiki Warashi

Three-Legged Prophetic Beast of Higo

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