Meissen Atelier 3 Monkeys, large

It was almost by chance that Maria Walther came across the motif of the three monkeys covering their eyes, ears and mouth. "Why are they shutting themselves off from the outside world?" she wondered, thus embarking on a journey into the symbolism behind the famous image, which is rooted in a misunderstanding. The fact that monkeys came to represent Confucius' teaching to see no evil, hear no evil and speak no evil is the result of a linguistic coincidence: in Japanese, the negative verb ending sounds identical to the word for monkey. According to ancient folk belief, the three were originally spirits residing within every human being, reporting earthly events back to their deity. The most renowned depiction can be found at the shrine of the Japanese city of Nikko.

Departing from the traditional representation, Maria Walther has given her monkeys a particularly dynamic and expressive presence. The gorilla's physiognomy and posture reveal a creature uncertain of how to channel its strength without the guidance of sight. Perched upon him sits the mandrill, whose voice loses its purpose when deprived of hearing. From his elevated position, the dwarf lemur, with enormous eyes that miss nothing, remains silent and ultimately stands in his own way. Each monkey unmistakably reveals the very limitation that holds it back. In doing so, Maria Walther has created a contemporary interpretation that encourages conscious observation, attentive listening and meaningful action, a powerful statement in favour of openness, awareness and moral courage.