獣の皮を被り 草の編みもの Donning Animal Skins and Braided Grass, Konoike Tomoko (born 1960)

Long ago, the forested mountains of Japan teamed with wildlife including the large Hokkaidō wolf and the smaller Honshū wolf. Both species of native Japanese wolves were exterminated in the 19th century when wolves became associated with rabies and Japan modernized their agricultural practices. Within Konoike Tomoko’s art, the wolf operates as a powerful symbol infused with mythic qualities. This six-legged, mirror-encrusted sculpture revives the spirit and lore of the vanished Japanese wolf.