Sculpture Hear, See and Speak No Evil

The monkeys of Tosho-gu, the Shinto shrino in Nikko, Japan. They depict the world famous saying "Hear, See and Speak No Evil".

Tosh-gu is the mausoleum of the 17th century Shogun Tokugawa Leyasu. No more than 15000 of Japan's finest tradesmen worked on this richly ornamented complex of temples for over 20 years.
On the front of the holy stables there are eight panels on which monkeys (Macaque) play a large role. Traditionally, the monkey is seen as the guardian of horses and till the 17th century, every horse stable also had a monkey.
The eight panels tell you how to lead a virtuous life by way of themes such as friendship, faithfulness and independence. The wood cutter Hidari Jingoro thought that the three monkeys (that originally convey Cunfucian wisdom) shouldn't be left out. This made the monkeys famous all over the world.