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The Third Nun of Mount Xiang

late 19th–early 20th century

Not on view

Legend has it that, when the third Princess Miaoshan refused marriage to become a Buddhist nun, her angry father destroyed her convent. Rescued by a divine being, she retired to Mount Xiang and eventually achieved enlightenment. When her father fell ill in retribution for killing the nuns, she cured him with an antidote made of her own flesh and eyes. In this colorful print, the princess holds a large whisk that symbolizes detachment from worldly concerns.

The Third Nun of Mount Xiang, Woodblock print; ink and color on paper with additional hand coloring and varnish, China — This image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Xiangshan sanhuanggu

Title: The Third Nun of Mount Xiang

Period: Qing dynasty (1644–1911)

Date: late 19th–early 20th century

Culture: China

Medium: Woodblock print; ink and color on paper with additional hand coloring and varnish

Dimensions: Image: 35 7/16 x 23 1/16 in. (90 x 58.5 cm)
Overall: 39 3/8 x 25 3/8 in. (100 x 64.4 cm)

Classification: Prints

Credit Line: On loan from the British Museum- Donated by Professor Bo Songnian

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Asian Art at The Met

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world.