Chinese Poem Celebrating the Great Buddha Hall (Daiyū Hōden) of Manpukuji Temple

1668

Not on view

This long poem is brushed with silklike ligatures and subtle variations in line thickness that characterize the expert calligraphy of Mu’an Xingtao (Mokuan Shōtō), the second abbot of Manpukuji. Mu’an’s refined style reflects the scholarly aesthetics current in China at the time. The poem celebrates the completion in 1668 of the Great Buddha Hall (Daiyū Hōden), the central structure of the monastic complex.

Artwork Details

Object Information

Overview

Catalogue Entry

Signatures, Inscriptions, and Markings

Provenance

木庵性瑫筆五言律詩大殿落成志喜
Title: Chinese Poem Celebrating the Great Buddha Hall (Daiyū Hōden) of Manpukuji Temple
Artist: Mu'an Xingtao (Mokuan Shōtō) (Chinese, 1611–1684)
Period: Edo period (1615–1868)
Date: 1668
Culture: Japan
Medium: Hanging scroll; ink on paper
Dimensions: Image: 9 15/16 × 26 3/4 in. (25.3 × 67.9 cm)
Overall with mounting: 41 15/16 × 28 15/16 in. (106.5 × 73.5 cm)
Overall with knobs: 41 15/16 × 29 in. (106.5 × 73.7 cm)
Classification: Calligraphy
Credit Line: Mary and Cheney Cowles Collection, Gift of Mary and Cheney Cowles, 2025
Object Number: 2025.795.9
Curatorial Department: Asian Art

More Artwork

By Mu'an Xingtao (Mokuan Shōtō)

In the same medium

From the same time and place

Poetic Phrases, Mu'an Xingtao (Mokuan Shōtō) Chinese, Set of three hanging scrolls; ink on paper, Japan — Poetic Phrases
(a, right) Mu'an Xingtao (Mokuan Shōtō)
(b, center) Feiyin Tongrong (Hiin Tsūyō)
(c, left) Jifei Ruyi (Sokuhi Nyoitsu)
17th century

Armor (<i>Gusoku</i>), Saotome Ietada Japanese, Iron, lacquer, silk, gilt copper, Japanese — Armor (*Gusoku*)
Armorer Helmet bowl signed Saotome Ietada
Armorer Breastplate inscribed inside, Myōchin Munesuke
16th and 18th centuries

”Abiding nowhere, the awakened mind arises”, Musō Soseki Japanese, Hanging scroll; ink on paper, Japan — ”Abiding nowhere, the awakened mind arises”
Musō Soseki
early to mid-14th century

Mu'an Xingtao (Mokuan Shōtō) Chinese, Hanging scroll; ink on paper, Japan — 木庵性瑫筆　七言絶句「柳岸鶯」
Mu'an Xingtao (Mokuan Shōtō)
1658

Helmet (<i>Zukinnari Kabuto</i>), Iron, lacquer, Japanese — Helmet (*Zukinnari Kabuto*)
Japanese
16th 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 contact us using the form below. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.

Send feedback

Content Notice

The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world, and our online collection reflects ongoing work conducted over the course of our more than 150-year history. You may encounter objects or images that may be inappropriate for some viewers or information that may be outdated.