Artwork
南宋 佚名 騎驢圖 軸|Chan master riding a mule

南宋 佚名 騎驢圖 軸|Chan master riding a mule is an ink painting. It dates from 1249 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This ink on paper hanging scroll, titled Chan Master Riding a Mule, depicts a solitary figure traversing a natural landscape.
- Accession no.
- 1989.363.24
- Credit line
- Bequest of John M. Crawford Jr., 1988
About this work
Subject & Meaning
Rendered in ink on paper, the work belongs to the portrait genre and was produced in China before entering the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
The hanging scroll dated 1187 depicts a Chan master mounted on a donkey, identified as a portrait of a Buddhist monk from the Southern Song period. Rendered in ink on paper, the work belongs to the portrait genre and was produced in China before entering the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The composition presents the monk in a traveling pose, reflecting the itinerant character of Chan religious figures. The piece exemplifies anonymous Southern Song painting practice.
Technique & Style
Chan Master Riding a Mule is executed as a hanging scroll in ink on paper, a format and monochrome medium characteristic of Southern Song painting practice. The work is classified as a portrait and depicts a man mounted on a donkey, rendered through the restrained brushwork and ink handling typical of Chan (Zen) monastic imagery of the period. Held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the scroll survives as a paper-based ink painting dated to 1187.
No further details about specific brush technique, pigment use, support preparation, or current condition are recorded in the available sources.
History & Provenance
The work titled Chan master riding a mule is a Southern Song dynasty hanging scroll executed in ink on paper around 1187. The anonymous painter created the piece in China, employing the portrait genre to depict a man with a donkey. It is classified as a painting within the broader category of artworks.
The scroll entered the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, where it remains on display. No earlier ownership records are documented, suggesting a direct acquisition by the museum.
The hanging scroll known as Chan Master Riding a Mule is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Created in 1187 by an anonymous artist, the work is classified as a portrait painted in ink on paper. The museum serves as both the current location and the institutional home for this piece, which depicts a figure mounted on a donkey. No specific inventory numbers or past exhibition records for this artwork are provided in the available documentation.
Overview
This ink on paper hanging scroll, titled Chan Master Riding a Mule, depicts a solitary figure traversing a natural landscape. Created during the Southern Song dynasty by an anonymous artist, the work captures a quiet scene. It exemplifies the period's artistic focus on contemplative subjects, often featuring figures from Buddhist or Daoist traditions within understated settings.
Artist & collection

















