Censer decorated with the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove

The Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove were men of the third century who retreated from politics to escape the tumult that followed the collapse of the Han dynasty. Trading the responsibility of official life for days of wine, music, and poetry among friends, the Seven Sages became models for virtuous reclusion during difficult times and inspired generations of Chinese scholars. While they were probably not based in Nanjing, as emblems of the free spirit of the Six Dynasties period, the Seven Sages are sometimes associated with the city.