Orchids, Bamboo, Briars, and Rocks
In medieval Japan, ink paintings that combined orchids with briars, bamboo, and rocks were most commonly associated with the Yuan-dynasty Chinese painter Xuechuang Puming (active mid-14th century), whom Tesshū Tokusai—a Zen monk and accomplished poet and painter— may have encountered during an extended trip to China in the 1330s. After his return to Japan, Tokusai introduced the genre to others Zen monks such as Gyokuen Bonpō (1325–1388), another celebrated painter of orchids. Tokusai’s poetic inscription reads:
Thousands of miles now
from the River of Chu,
My thoughts multiply—
I wonder, could there be anything
As redolent as the solitary orchid?
—Trans. Aaron Rio
Thousands of miles now
from the River of Chu,
My thoughts multiply—
I wonder, could there be anything
As redolent as the solitary orchid?
—Trans. Aaron Rio
Artwork Details
- 鉄舟徳済筆 蘭竹石図
- Title: Orchids, Bamboo, Briars, and Rocks
- Artist: Tesshū Tokusai (Japanese, died 1366)
- Period: Nanbokuchō period (1336–92)
- Date: mid-14th century
- Culture: Japan
- Medium: Hanging scroll; ink on paper
- Dimensions: Image: 28 3/8 × 14 1/2 in. (72 × 36.8 cm)
Overall with mounting: 60 1/16 × 19 5/16 in. (152.5 × 49 cm)
Overall with knobs: 60 1/16 × 21 in. (152.5 × 53.4 cm) - Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: Mary Griggs Burke Collection, Gift of the Mary and Jackson Burke Foundation, 2015
- Object Number: 2015.300.61
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Tesshū Tokusai
1343
Tesshū Tokusai
1343
Sesson Shūkei
ca. 1555–61
Uto Gyoshi
mid- to late 16th century
Kano Tan'yū
mid-17th century
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.