Artwork
伝可翁筆 竹図|Bamboo
伝可翁筆 竹図|Bamboo is an ink painting by the Renaissance artist Kaō. It dates from 1524 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The depiction focuses entirely on the botanical form of the bamboo, using a monochromatic palette typical of East Asian ink painting traditions.
This hanging scroll, created in 1524 by the artist Kaō, features bamboo (Bambusoideae) as its sole subject. Executed in ink on silk, the work originates from Japan. The depiction focuses entirely on the botanical form of the bamboo, using a monochromatic palette typical of East Asian ink painting traditions.
While the specific symbolic intent of this particular scroll is not detailed in the available records, the choice of bamboo as a subject in Japanese art often relates to themes of resilience and flexibility. The work is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it is classified as a painting depicting this plant species.
Technique & Style
The work is executed in ink on silk, mounted as a hanging scroll. It measures 83.8 cm in height and 36.2 cm in width. The composition presents a single stalk of bamboo rendered in monochrome ink, with careful modulation of tone to suggest volume and texture.
The handling favors fluid, tapered strokes for the culm and finer, angled lines for the leaves, aligning with Muromachi-period ink-painting conventions. The scroll's support and mounting remain consistent with standard formats for Japanese hanging scrolls of the sixteenth century.
History & Provenance
Attributed to the artist Kaō, this hanging scroll depicting bamboo was created in Japan in 1524. Executed in ink on silk, the work measures 83.8 cm in height and 36.2 cm in width and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, catalogued under the genre of paintings. No accession number is listed in the available documentation, and no exhibition history is provided in the sources consulted.
Overview
This ink painting, titled Bamboo (伝可翁筆 竹図), was created by Kaō in 1524. Rendered on a silk hanging scroll, the work presents a solitary bamboo stalk. The composition exemplifies a minimalist approach, focusing on the essential form and movement of the plant through the delicate application of ink, characteristic of East Asian painting traditions.
Artist & collection
