An image of a rat found drawn on a floodgate in Minato Ward, Tokyo, is causing quite a stir, as it resembles the work of Banksy, a world-famous artist whose true identity is unknown. Experts say there is a strong possibility that the image is a genuine Banksy, but the artist's side would not say either way when asked for comment.
Is this a valuable piece of art or just someone's graffiti?
According to metropolitan government officials, the image in question is about 20 centimeters tall and 20 centimeters wide, and was found in the corner of a floodgate near Tokyo Bay. The metropolitan government was informed about the image at the end of last year, and removed part of the gate containing it on Wednesday. It is currently in storage.
There is also said to be information that the image had been there for more than 10 years.
According to Yoshitaka Mori, a professor of sociology at Tokyo University of the Arts who is familiar with Banksy's activities, the artist has created many works featuring rats, which are targets for extermination in cities.
"Wall and Piece," a 2006 collection of Banksy's work, contains a piece that looks like a reversed image of the rat found on the floodgate. "Tokyo 2003" is written in the margin of the page in the book.
In addition, elements such as the position of the bolts on the gate and the shape of a crack in the ground in front of it are nearly identical. "It's highly likely Banksy put a flipped photo of the recently discovered image in the book," Mori said.
The Yomiuri Shimbun reached out through the artist's official website, and received an email saying, "We don't authenticate street pieces, and we cannot confirm that Banksy executed this work."
"I would think Banksy's enjoying the fuss," Mori said.
What to do with the image at the center of the debate will also be an issue going forward.
According to lawyer Hironori Takaki, who is well versed in the Copyright Law, the Tokyo metropolitan government owns the floodgate, but if the image is a genuine Banksy, the rights to the artwork belong to the artist. The metropolitan government would therefore be able to do such things as sell the gate or temporarily display it at an exhibition, but it cannot sell copies of the work.
"If the piece is identified as a Banksy work, the metropolitan government could make effective use of it within the confines of not violating its copyright," Takaki said.
The graffiti on the floodgate could run afoul of laws concerning things like property damage or minor crimes. However, it is generally thought that the gate's owner could only press charges if the gate's value declined or its attractive appearance was damaged due to the graffiti. Attention will be focused on what steps the city takes.
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