Su Dongpo in a Borrowed Hat
Unidentified
Calligraphy by Osen Keisan Japanese
Not on view
This painting is a classic example of shigajiku, a hanging scroll with a calligraphic inscription above an ink painting, a format used frequently in the cultural and artistic circles of Zen temples, particularly during the Muromachi period. The figure wearing a battered, wide-brimmed hat and a pair of farmer’s clogs is Su Dongpo (1037–1101), also known as Su Shi, one of the most beloved poets of China’s Song dynasty. His somewhat bedraggled appearance and humble garb refer to an event that took place during the poet’s exile on Hainan Island. After visiting a friend, Su realized that it had begun to rain and borrowed a bamboo hat and peasant clogs from a local farmer. His appearance startled the women and children he met along the way, and made them laugh.
Although the painting is unsigned, the calligrapher can be identified by his seal as Ōsen Keisan, one of the most prominent, influential Zen monks of his century, when Zen monasteries served as centers of learning for Chinese arts and literature. His inscription, in Chinese characters, is written in a combination of standard, semi-cursive, and cursive script.
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