Artwork
朴堂祖淳筆 蘇軾騎驢図|Su Shi Riding a Donkey
朴堂祖淳筆 蘇軾騎驢図|Su Shi Riding a Donkey is an ink painting by the Nanga artist Bokudō Sojun. It dates from 1416 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
- Accession no.
- 2015.300.49
- Credit line
- Mary Griggs Burke Collection, Gift of the Mary and Jackson Burke Foundation, 2015
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Created in 1416 by the artist Bokudō Sojun, the painting presents this specific scene using ink and gold on paper.
The work depicts the historical figure Su Shi mounted on a donkey, rendered as a portrait of a man and an animal. Created in 1416 by the artist Bokudō Sojun, the painting presents this specific scene using ink and gold on paper. As a hanging scroll, the image focuses on the visual representation of the scholar traveling on his mount.
The composition identifies the subject through the clear depiction of the man and the donkey without additional narrative elements described in the available records.
Technique & Style
The painting is a hanging scroll created in 1416 in Japan, executed in ink and gold on paper. It belongs to the category of paintings and is classified as a portrait, reflecting the subject’s status as a depicted man riding a donkey.
The composition depicts the Chinese poet Su Shi astride a donkey, a scene recorded in the work’s description. The vertical format, combined with delicate ink line work and applied gold highlights, produces a balanced, elegant visual rhythm typical of early fifteenth‑century Japanese portrait scrolls.
History & Provenance
The work was produced in 1416 in Japan by Bokudō Sojun, a monk‑artist of the Yuan lineage, as an ink and gold hanging scroll depicting Su Shi riding a donkey. It is part of the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is housed in New York. The museum records its inception as 1416‑01‑01, confirming the date and place of creation.
No earlier ownership records are documented, and no evidence of a specific commission survives. The painting’s genre is classified as a portrait and it is catalogued under the genre of portrait within the museum’s Paintings department.
Overview
Created in 1416 by the Japanese artist Bokudō Sojun, 'Su Shi Riding a Donkey' is a hanging scroll executed in ink and gold on paper. The work depicts the renowned Chinese poet and statesman Su Shi (Su Dongpo) traversing a narrow path atop a small donkey. Su Shi is characterized by a wide straw hat and flowing robes, rendered with dynamic brushwork that suggests movement despite the static medium.
The composition relies on the contrast between the deep black ink and scattered gold flecks to define the figures and the sparse landscape. This piece exemplifies the Japanese engagement with Chinese literati themes during the Muromachi period, where the figure of Su Shi served as a symbol of poetic resilience and scholarly retreat. Sojun's portrayal captures the essence of the poet's legendary wanderings, blending portraiture with narrative landscape elements.
The use of gold highlights the work's ceremonial quality while maintaining the aesthetic restraint typical of Zen-influenced ink painting. As a specific dated work from the early 15th century, it stands as a significant example of cross-cultural artistic transmission in East Asia.
Context
Although created in Japan during the Muromachi period, this hanging scroll features the prominent Chinese literary figure Su Shi. This cross-cultural subject matter highlights the extensive intellectual and artistic exchange between Japan and China that occurred centuries before modern communication methods. Such depictions underscore the deep reverence for Chinese culture and scholarship within Japanese artistic traditions.
Artist & collection
