Choju-Giga 鳥獣戯画
鳥 bird · 獣 beast · 戯 play/frolic · 画 picture
Choju-jinbutsu-giga (Scrolls of Frolicking Animals) is a set of four picture scrolls from the 12th-13th centuries and a National Treasure held at Kosanji Temple in Kyoto. The black-and-white drawings depict animals such as rabbits, frogs, and foxes engaging in human activities. There is no explanatory text and the artist is unknown; it has been hugely influential and is considered one of Japan's most celebrated works of art.
The scrolls depict animals such as rabbits and dogs in stylized forms. They are sometimes described as the oldest example of manga.
