Kutani Monks, Japan, Meiji Period (1868-1912)Underglaze-blue Kutani sculpture of the Zen Monks, Kanzan and Jittoku who lived on Mount Tiantai in Tang dynasty China (618-906), where they were known as Han Shan and Shi De. Kanzan was a hermit-poet who befriended Jittoku, a kitchen-hand in the nearby Guoqing temple by reading him his poems for which Jittoku would, in return, bring leftover food from the temple. In this charming sculpture, both of the monks are wearing Chinese style clothes and Jittoku is standing with his left arm wrapped behind Kanzan and holding a broom while Kanzan holds an opened scroll from which he is probably reading his poems. 19th century. 11 inches