Eight Daoist Immortals Welcoming Jurōjin
In this diptych (with 14.76.52), some of the revered Eight Daoist Immortals of ancient China look skyward to watch the god of longevity, Shaolaoren (known in Japanese as Jurōjin), descend from above on a crane. Most of the immortals are easily identifiable. On the left scroll are Lu Dongbin, carrying a sword on his back; He Xiangu, the sole female, holding a magic mushroom; and Zhang Guolao, who turns his back and releases a miniature donkey from a bag. On the right scroll are Lan Caihe with clappers and Li Tieguai, who creates a miniature image of himself by blowing into the air. The basket of flowers is an attribute of Han Xiangzi, who had the power to make flowers grow and bloom instantly.
The exaggerated foreignness of some of the faces, verging on the grotesque, and the nervous, wavering outlines of the robes highlighted in white suggest that the unidentified painter, probably an artist of the Kano school, may have been copying from a Chinese work.
The exaggerated foreignness of some of the faces, verging on the grotesque, and the nervous, wavering outlines of the robes highlighted in white suggest that the unidentified painter, probably an artist of the Kano school, may have been copying from a Chinese work.
Artwork Details
- 八仙図
- Title: Eight Daoist Immortals Welcoming Jurōjin
- Period: Edo period (1615–1868)
- Date: 17th century
- Culture: Japan
- Medium: Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk
- Dimensions: Image: 55 × 31 in. (139.7 × 78.7 cm)
Overall with mounting: 93 1/2 × 36 5/8 in. (237.5 × 93 cm)
Overall with knobs: 93 1/2 × 39 5/8 in. (237.5 × 100.6 cm) - Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: Charles Stewart Smith Collection, Gift of Mrs. Charles Stewart Smith, Charles Stewart Smith Jr., and Howard Caswell Smith, in memory of Charles Stewart Smith, 1914
- Object Number: 14.76.53
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art
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Japan
17th century
Itō Jakuchū
1755
Kaihō Yūsetsu
mid-17th century
Kano Tan'yū
mid-17th century
Japan
late 17th century
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