A charming original Japanese shikishi artwork signed 小林 (Kobayashi), featuring a stylized monkey paired with a peach motif.
The monkey is painted in a wonderfully simple, folk-inspired style, with a rounded brown body, vivid red face, and minimal black details. At the centre of the composition appears a large peach (桃 / momo), framed by decorative green leaves and rendered in red, white, and turquoise accents.
Monkey and Peach Symbolism
Both the monkey (猿 / saru) and the peach are auspicious motifs in East Asian art.
The monkey is one of the twelve animals of the Japanese zodiac and is often associated with cleverness, agility, adaptability, and lively intelligence. In Japanese wordplay, saru can also echo the verb 去る, “to leave,” giving monkey imagery an additional folk association with driving away misfortune.
The peach, meanwhile, is a long-established symbol of longevity, health, protection, and good fortune. Across East Asian tradition, peaches are closely linked with wishes for a long and blessed life.
Together, the monkey and peach create a cheerful image of vitality, longevity, protection, and auspicious fortune.
A delightful piece for collectors of Japanese zodiac art, monkey motifs, peach symbolism, folk-inspired painting, original shikishi, or vintage Japanese decorative art.
Original hand-painted artwork on shikishi board. Visible age-related spotting, toning, and minor edge wear are present, consistent with its vintage character.
Size: 24 x 27cm
