{"product_id":"four-monks-ceramic-set","title":"The Four Monks Ceramic Set","description":"\u003cp\u003eThree of them cover their ears, mouth and eyes. The fourth sits with his hands together, and he's the one people miss.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSee no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil is the version that travelled west. The fourth monk is the older idea underneath it. The line traces back to the Analects (論語), where Confucius (孔子) answers a student asking how to live: look at nothing improper, listen to nothing improper, say nothing improper, do nothing improper. \u003cstrong\u003eThe fourth is the doing. Restraint in action, not just in the senses.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhich is why the set works on a desk. \u003cstrong\u003eThree of them are about what comes in. The fourth is about what you send back out.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eEach one is modelled separately and stands on its own, so you can group all four together or space them out along a shelf and let people find the fourth on their own.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eFor anyone who has ever thought the three monkeys were a bit glib. The missing fourth is the answer to that, and almost nobody knows it exists.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eWhere to put the four monks\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003eA desk, a bookshelf, a windowsill, or an altar. Small enough not to dominate a surface and large enough to be seen from across a room. Lined up in a straight row all four need noticeably more shelf than people expect, so check the run before you plan on it. Ceramic chips, so keep them back from an edge.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt arrives with a story most people have never heard the end of, which is most of why it gets asked about.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eSpecifications\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMaterial:\u003c\/strong\u003e High-fired ceramic, dark speckled robes against unglazed clay\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSet:\u003c\/strong\u003e Four figures, each free standing\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eSize:\u003c\/strong\u003e Each approx 10cm \/ 4in tall. Widths 7 to 9cm \/ 2.75 to 3.5in, depths 5.9 to 6.5cm \/ 2.3 to 2.6in\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eRow of four:\u003c\/strong\u003e Approx 32cm \/ 12.5in end to end\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eMotif:\u003c\/strong\u003e See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil, plus restraint in action\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin of motif:\u003c\/strong\u003e The Analects of Confucius, Lunyu (論語)\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNote:\u003c\/strong\u003e Hand glazed, colour and finish vary slightly between sets\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e","brand":"Earth Tibet","offers":[{"title":"Hear No Evil","offer_id":52338090901806,"sku":"14:200006152#2","price":70.41,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Speak No Evil","offer_id":52338090934574,"sku":"14:200006151#1","price":70.41,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":true},{"title":"See No Evil","offer_id":52338090967342,"sku":"14:200006154#4","price":70.41,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Meditate","offer_id":52338091000110,"sku":"14:200006153#3","price":70.41,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":true},{"title":"Set of 4","offer_id":52338091032878,"sku":"14:200004889#6","price":224.24,"currency_code":"SGD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1000\/4807\/7102\/files\/four-monks-ceramic-set-1.webp?v=1786696787","url":"https:\/\/www.earthtibet.com\/products\/four-monks-ceramic-set","provider":"Earth Tibet","version":"1.0","type":"link"}