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The Gateway Character “Lotus”

Yinyuan Longqi (Ingen Ryūki) Japanese
 Inscribed by Muan Xingtao (Mokuan Shōtō) Chinese
 Inscribed by Jifei Ruyi (Sokuhi Nyoitsu) Japanese

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 228

Three master Ōbaku calligraphers collaborated on this horizontal composition. Yinyuan Longqi initiated the work by inscribing the oversize Chinese character meaning “lotus,” symbolizing purity and spiritual enlightenment as it emerges pristine from muddy waters. His twist of the brush exposes the white paper beneath, suggesting rapid movement. Smaller passages executed by two of his disciples elaborate on the topic of Buddhist enlightenment.

The Gateway Character “Lotus”, Yinyuan Longqi (Ingen Ryūki) (Japanese, 1592–1673), Hanging scroll; ink on paper, Japan

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The Gateway Character “Lotus”, Yinyuan Longqi (Ingen Ryūki) (Japanese, 1592–1673), Hanging scroll; ink on paper, Japan
The Gateway Character “Lotus”, Yinyuan Longqi (Ingen Ryūki) (Japanese, 1592–1673), Hanging scroll; ink on paper, Japan

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