Artwork
明 佚名 竹鶴雙清圖 軸|Crane in a bamboo grove
明 佚名 竹鶴雙清圖 軸|Crane in a bamboo grove is an ink painting. It dates from 1400 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. This hanging scroll, titled Crane in a Bamboo Grove, is an ink and color painting on silk from the Ming dynasty by an anonymous artist.
About this work
Subject & Meaning
The hanging scroll depicts a bamboo grove inhabited by a crane, a pairing that carries layered symbolic meaning in Chinese pictorial tradition.
The hanging scroll depicts a bamboo grove inhabited by a crane, a pairing that carries layered symbolic meaning in Chinese pictorial tradition. Bamboo, rendered in ink and color on silk, has long been associated with resilience, integrity, and the upright character of the scholar-gentleman, owing to its ability to bend without breaking and remain evergreen through winter. The crane, shown within the grove, is a traditional emblem of longevity, nobility, and transcendence, frequently linked in classical imagery to Daoist immortals and to the wish for a long life.
The combination of these two motifs, often referred to as a "double purity" pairing, unites the moral steadfastness of bamboo with the crane's auspicious symbolism of endurance and immortality, producing a composition meant to convey both ethical ideals and blessings of long life.
History & Provenance
The hanging scroll titled Crane in a bamboo grove (Ming dynasty, anonymous) is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The work, executed in ink and color on silk around 1400, is classified within the museum's paintings holdings and depicts bamboo and a crane. While a specific accession number is not detailed in the provided records, the artwork is listed among the Metropolitan Museum of Art's holdings.
The sources do not provide a detailed exhibition history or a chronological list of public displays for this specific piece, limiting the historical record to its current institutional location and general classification.
Overview
This hanging scroll, titled Crane in a Bamboo Grove, is an ink and color painting on silk from the Ming dynasty by an anonymous artist. It presents a serene natural scene, focusing on a solitary crane positioned within a dense thicket of bamboo. The artwork's balanced composition and detailed rendering invite contemplation of its subject matter.
Technique & Style
Executed with ink and color on silk, the artwork features a tall, white crane with dark legs as its central focus. The artist employed soft ink washes for the background elements, allowing the bird to stand out against the verdant bamboo stalks. The composition achieves a sense of balance, contrasting the crane's static posture with the subtle, implied motion of the surrounding bamboo leaves.
Artist & collection
