Geese and Reeds
It is near the end of autumn and three geese have alighted on a sandbank, indicated only by faint washy brushstrokes, with drier, darker strokes delineating withered reeds at the water’s edge. One goose is at rest while the others crane their necks to call at the sky, perhaps signaling others in their flock who have begun their journey south.
The pictorial combination of geese and reeds, introduced to Japan from China in the thirteenth century, was a popular subject for early Japanese Zen artist-monks such as Tesshū Tokusai (d. 1366), with whom paintings of this type are often associated. Because of its refined quality and sophisticated use of the brush—unusual among the earliest examples of Japanese ink paintings—this work was once thought to be of Chinese origin. The paper, wax-imprinted with a floral design in one corner, is also a type that was popular in China.
The pictorial combination of geese and reeds, introduced to Japan from China in the thirteenth century, was a popular subject for early Japanese Zen artist-monks such as Tesshū Tokusai (d. 1366), with whom paintings of this type are often associated. Because of its refined quality and sophisticated use of the brush—unusual among the earliest examples of Japanese ink paintings—this work was once thought to be of Chinese origin. The paper, wax-imprinted with a floral design in one corner, is also a type that was popular in China.
Artwork Details
- 蘆雁図
- Title: Geese and Reeds
- Period: Muromachi period (1392–1573)
- Date: late 14th century
- Culture: Japan
- Medium: Hanging scroll; ink on paper
- Dimensions: Image: 19 5/8 × 11 7/16 in. (49.8 × 29 cm)
Overall with mounting: 50 7/8 × 15 15/16 in. (129.3 × 40.5 cm)
Overall with knobs: 50 7/8 × 17 7/8 in. (129.3 × 45.4 cm) - Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: Mary Griggs Burke Collection, Gift of the Mary and Jackson Burke Foundation, 2015
- Object Number: 2015.300.57
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art
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