Bamboo

Attributed to Kaō Japanese

Not on view

In China, the association of bamboo with resilience and fortitude made it a popular painting subject among literati and Chan (Zen) monks. According to tradition, this image of mist-shrouded bamboo was created by Kaō, a fourteenth-century monk who was among the earliest Japanese practitioners of Chinese-inspired monochrome ink painting. Despite the attribution, it is likely sixteenth century in date. Graded ink tonalities and delicate rendering of joints in the stalk indicate that the artist was well-trained in Chinese methods of ink painting.

Bamboo, Attributed to Kaō (Japanese, died 1345), Hanging scroll; ink on silk, Japan

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Bamboo, Attributed to Kaō (Japanese, died 1345), Hanging scroll; ink on silk, Japan
Bamboo, Attributed to Kaō (Japanese, died 1345), Hanging scroll; ink on silk, Japan

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