During his trip to Japan in 1881, Pedro del Rio Zañartu acquired some engravings to add to his Japanese collection. At the end of the 19th Century, Japanese engravings (such as ukiyo-e woodblocks) were very popular outside of Asia, fueling Japanisme amongst European artists during the 1880s and 1890s.
This caricature of animals in humanized forms shows foxes attacking a monkey wearing clothing and raising a mast, which is reminiscent of a Japanese art masterpiece called Choju giga, an illustrated handscroll (emakimono) from the 11th-12th Century, which gives a linear monochrome representation of animals performing human activities.