An elephant seems to walk on water from the bottom right corner of the composition, rising towards Vishnu in the upper left with a single lotus flower in its trunk. Vishnu, with 4 arms, steps on green hills surrounding the lotus covered pond, bending towards the elephant. Garuda flies in the upper right.
Subject Matter
The story of Gajendra moksha appears in the Bhagavatha Purana. It tells the story of an elephant named Gajendre who prays to vishnu for help when struggling with a water creature (crocodile, monster). Gajendra makes an offering of a lotus flower with his trunk. The prayers made by Gajendra became a famous hymn in praise of Lord Vishnu called Gajendra Stuthi. Seeing His devotee in distress, Lord Vishnu kills the crocodile and saves Gajendra.
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
An elephant seems to walk on water from the bottom right corner of the composition, rising towards Vishnu in the upper left with a single lotus flower in its trunk. Vishnu, with 4 arms, steps on green hills surrounding the lotus covered pond, bending towards the elephant. Garuda flies in the upper right.
Subject Matter
The story of Gajendra moksha appears in the Bhagavatha Purana. It tells the story of an elephant named Gajendre who prays to vishnu for help when struggling with a water creature (crocodile, monster). Gajendra makes an offering of a lotus flower with his trunk. The prayers made by Gajendra became a famous hymn in praise of Lord Vishnu called Gajendra Stuthi. Seeing His devotee in distress, Lord Vishnu kills the crocodile and saves Gajendra.
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
Lacquered wooden box with inlaid mother-of-pearl in double-dragon design. The heads of each dragon stretch diagonally inward from opposite corners of the box, with wide eyes and open mouths. Their bodies curve in and out of the top plane of the box, creating an opposing effect with symmetrical balance. The dragons reach forward towards a flaming orb in the center of the box, called a cintamani, or Buddhist wish-granting jewel. Among the dragons are swirling cloud designs made of inlaid nacre and copper wire.
Subject Matter
Box decorated with double-dragons reaching for cintamani (Buddhist wish-granting jewel).
Label Copy
March 28, 2009
This box for storing clothes originates from what is regarded as the golden age of Joseon art. Since the dragon motif was reserved for the king or princes, the box was most likely used for storing official robes or other ceremonial regalia. Two intertwined dragons fly through the clouds on the lid: they are about to catch a flaming cintamani—a Buddhist wish-granting jewel. The dragons are inlaid in mother-of-pearl, the jewel in tortoiseshell, and the surrounding clouds in mother-of-pearl and copper wire. Alternating tortoiseshell and mother-of-pearl circles decorate the rim of the lid.
Lacquer ware inlaid with mother-of-pearl originated in the Unified Silla (668–935) and Goryeo (918–1392) periods. That of the Goryeo shows dense designs formed by tiny bits of nacre blanketing the decorative field. In the subsequent Joseon period, larger pieces of nacre were used in conjunction with more pictorial space. The larger pieces of nacre were intentionally cracked to enhance the play of light across the shell surface, as seen here in the heads of the dragons and the clouds. The decorative use of twisted wires, seen here in the contours of the dragons and the clouds, is unique to Korean lacquer work.
(Label for UMMA Korean Gallery Opening Rotation, March 2009)
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
48 cm x 40.5 cm x 17 cm (18 7/8 in. x 15 15/16 in. x 6 11/16 in.)
Subject Matter
Buddha, sheltered by the Naga king Mucalinda: a scene from the life of historical Buddha. When the Buddha-to-be sat down under a Bo tree in Bodh Gaya to meditate for a period of 49 days, a great storm arose, but his concentration was unbroken. To keep him safe from the flood and the driving rain, the Naga (serpent) king Mucalinda coiled his body to life him above the waters, and spread his cobra hood to provide shelter. Images of Buddha sheltered by Mucalinda are common in peninsular Southeast Asia, where snakes were tradiionally revered as fertility symbols.
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
This large painting of a scholar and two roosters. The scholar site with books piled behind him, while the roosters below crane their necks to look back at him. The calligraphy on the top right reads:
Would Your Excellency, my dear friend Xiaoting, kindly point out the inadequacies of this work? Ren Yi [a.k.a.] Bonian
There are also two seals of the artist and one collectors seal.
Subject Matter
This large painting of a scholar and two roosters alludes to the story of Song Zong of the Jin dynasty (265–420). Song kept a rooster in his study and one day the bird began conversing with its master like a cultured gentleman of profound knowledge. Song benefited greatly from his pet’s conversation and subsequently became a famous scholar.
In China a rooster is thought to possess five virtues: 1) education, represented by its crest which resembles a scholar’s hat; 2) fierceness, symbolized by its sharp talons; 3) bravery, because of its pugnacious disposition; 4) benevolence, as it clucks when it discovers food; and 5) trustworthiness, as evidenced by its daily crow at sunrise. The attainment of these virtues was thought to be the desire of every gentleman.
Label Copy
Inscription: Would Your Excellency, my dear friend Xiaoting, kindly point out the inadequacies of this work? Ren Yi [a.k.a.] Bonian
Two seals of the artist
One collector’s seal
A distant nephew of Ren Xiong (see UMMA 1985/2.32), Ren Yi was a gifted and prolific painter who achieved great popularity in Shanghai during the second half of the nineteenth century. This large painting of a scholar and two roosters alludes to the story of Song Zong of the Jin dynasty (265–420). Song kept a rooster in his study and one day the bird began conversing with its master like a cultured gentleman of profound knowledge. Song benefited greatly from his pet’s conversation and subsequently became a famous scholar.
In China a rooster is thought to possess five virtues: 1) education, represented by its crest which resembles a scholar’s hat; 2) fierceness, symbolized by its sharp talons; 3) bravery, because of its pugnacious disposition; 4) benevolence, as it clucks when it discovers food; and 5) trustworthiness, as evidenced by its daily crow at sunrise. The attainment of these virtues was thought to be the desire of every gentleman.
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Ren Yi was a gifted and prolific painter who achieved great popularity in Shanghai during the second half of the nineteenth century. This large painting of a scholar and two roosters alludes to the story of Song Zong of the Jin dynasty (265–420). Song kept a rooster in his study and one day the bird began conversing with its master like a cultured gentleman of profound knowledge. Song benefited greatly from his pet’s conversation and subsequently became a famous scholar.
In China a rooster is thought to possess five virtues: education, represented by its crest which resembles a scholar’s hat; fierceness, symbolized by its sharp talons; bravery, because of its pugnacious disposition; benevolence, as it clucks when it discovers food; and trustworthiness, as evidenced by its daily crow at sunrise. The attainment of these virtues was thought to be the desire of every gentleman.
(Chinese Gallery Rotation, Spring 2009)
Inscription
Artist's seal and signature; Collector's seal in lower right.
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
A man and a woman amble down the street under a crescent moon. The woman plays a stringed instrument, and a woman on a balcony above leans out to listen. Two small dogs in the street appear to howl up at the moon, perhaps joining in the chorus.
Subject Matter
Takahashi Hiroaki worked with the prolific twentieth century publisher of woodblock prints Watanabe Shozaburo (1885-1962). Takahashi was trained in Nihonga, or Japanese painting, and dedicated much of his time to paintings for exhibitions and illustrations for scientific publications. His nostalgic “Old Japan” imagery was highly sought after by collectors in Europe and North America. Takahashi’s work attempts to capture the essence of cultural events and everyday life.
Label Copy
Kawase Hasui and Takahashi Hiroaki both worked in concert with the prolific twentieth century publisher of woodblock prints Watanabe Shôzaburô (1885-1962). Their poetic and often times nostalgic landscape prints, very much following Edo period print master Andô Hiroshige’s foot prints (whose works are also shown in the gallery), have been highly sought after by collectors in Europe and North America.
Kawase Hasui was especially known for his skillful depiction of landscapes and night scenes. His passion for landscapes led him to travel extensively throughout Japan, keeping a sensitive eye on his surroundings and sketching scenes from his journeys. His close attention to atmospheric conditions and light brought him much success and one year before his death Kawase was awarded the great honor of Living Cultural Treasure for his 1956 print “Snow at Zôjôji Temple.”
Takahashi was trained in Japanese style painting (Nihonga), and dedicated much of his time to creating paintings for exhibitions as well as illustrations for scientific publications. While Kawase’s prints focus on notable places and landscapes, Takahashi’s work attempts to capture the essence of Japanese culture and everyday life.
(Japanese Gallery Rotation, Spring 2010)
(6/28/10)
*Gallery Rotation Winter 2011 (January 2011)
Takahashi Hiroaki
Japan, 1871–1944
Strolling Musicians, from the series Evening Scene in Tokyo
1900–21
Meiji Period (1868–1912) to Taisho Period (1912–26)
Color woodblock print on paper
Gift of Millard Pryor in Memory of Mary S. Pryor, 1991/2.111
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
A native of Shanghai, Zhang Gunian (Chang Ku-nien) first studied painting at the age of nine under the tutelage of his uncle. His work clearly embraces the free brushwork that flourished in Shanghai painting circles in the early part of the twentieth century. After his move to Taiwan, he frequently did scenes that reflected the accomplishments of the Nationalist Government in creating a modern China. He organized a group of like-minded colleagues as the "Seven Friends of Painting and Calligraphy," and together they often did collaborative works. His paintings and calligraphy were much admired in Taiwan and Japan in the second half of the twentieth century, although less known in the West. A major donation to UMMA of nearly forty paintings by Zhang Gunian, given by his son and daughter, will allow for serious study of this artist's work in North America.
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
Born into a high-ranking samurai family, Eishi first studies painting under the then-head of the prestigious Kanô School, Kanô Eisen'in Sukenobu (official painter to the Tokugawa Shogunate). He was appointed to high court rank and given the name Eishi by none other than the tenth Tokugawa shôgun, Ieharu. In about 1786, he left Ieharu's service but was allowed to keep his name, even though he changed to the ukiyo e, a more popular style. In both prints and paintings, he specialized in pictures of beautiful women, done with elegance and refinement.
This is a portrait of a courtesan and her two attendants. The courtesan wears a red cloak with a peacock flying over peonies and a pale green color kimono with “shippô” (seven treasures) pattern. Her green obi, tied in the front, has design of red and blue clouds with gold plants. She is turning away from a viewer to show the gorgeous cloak. Her hair is sculpted in a butterfly shape on the top and has wings to the side. Tortoise-shell combs and multiple hairpins adorn the hair. Her two attendants flank the courtesan; they wear matching, dark green kimono with chrysanthemum flower design and red underkimono. Their kimono have especially long sleeves (furisode), whose openings are tied with ribbons. Their obi are in brocade and tied on their backs. Their hair is sculpted in round shape on their tops and has side wings like the courtesan. They wear silver hair accessories of cherry blossoms and tassels, long hairpins and red silk ribbons. The attendant on the left holds a battledore pad and the right attendant holds a ball. All the women wear black platform sandals. There is a cherry tree in full blossom on the right, from which some petals fall on the women and the ground. There are the artist’s signature and seal on the lower right corner. It has mounting of beige silk and two strips of floral pattern brocade on the top and bottom of the painting.
Subject Matter
Traditionally the famous beauties of the Yoshiwara entertainment quarter in Edo would parade under the cherry blossoms every spring in the newest fashions. Here we see an unknown courtesan (but probably one of the top courtesans at the time) accompanied by two young attendants in matching costumes. The battledore pad and ball were originally used in courtly games (the ball is for kicking), but here they are perhaps attributes to the elegance that the courtesan evokes.
Label Copy
Born of a samurai family, Eishi was appointed to a high court rank. He is known for his tall figures, flowing drapery, elegant line, and bright colors. This painting depicts courtesans in full dress at a flower-viewing festival. An oiran, shown here wearing an overkimono decorated with a peacock flying over peonies, is a high-ranking geisha and she is followed by two kamuro, or girl attendants. The young woman on the left holds a battledore pad while the one on the right carries a cotton ball wrapped with white thread.
Born into a high-ranking samurai family, Eishi first studied the Kanô painting style, the official school of the Tokugawa shogunate and the dominant school of painting in Japan for more than 300 years. It was characterized by an emphasis on brushwork and spare use of pigment.
In 1789, Eishi retired from the honorable position as a “painting companion” of the current shogun in order to devote his career to mastering a quite different style, ukiyo-e, a school of painting and woodblock printmaking catering to popular tastes and often rendered in exceptionally vivid pigments. Here, the artist depicted a courtesan flanked by two attendants in the annual spring promenade in the pleasure district. The medley of beautiful women, the gorgeous tapestry of their garments, and the cherry blossoms is like a glimpse of paradise.
(Label for UMMA Japanese Gallery Opening Rotation, March 2009)
Inscription
Signed in lower right: Chobunsai Eishi hitsu; Seal following the signature: Eishi.
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
Three pieces are combined here to make a fashion accessory for a Japanese man of the mid- to late 19th century. The pipe holder (in Japanese, kiseruzutsu), is in the form of Ashinaga, or “Long Legs” a mythological creature associated with water and fishing. No signature has been deciphered on the carved Ashinaga figure, but stylistically it may be attributed to the studio of Katsushika Hokusai ((1760–1849). Hokusai published at least one volume designs for tobacco paraphernalia, entitled Imayo kushi kiseru hinagata (Patterns for modern combs and pipes; issued in 1823). The accompanying tobacco container (tonkotsu) takes the shape of a crab with dragon claws, and it does bear a signature that appears to read "Hokusai" on the reverse. However, there are no known examples of carvings by any artist named Hokusai, so the attribution is still under research. Finally, the toggle on the cord connecting the two is called an ojime. It is in the shape of a bell or tablet, decorated with a snail, and signed "Ikkoku."
Maribeth Graybill, Senior Curator of Asian Art, September 2004
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
Rama and Lakshmana sit under a tree with the King of the monkeys, surrounded by monkeys. Some monkeys have taken to flight in the upper corners of the drawing. With a few deft strokes the artist conveys the swiftly changing emotions of the moment, as the monkeys respond with astonishment, empathy, and action to Rama’s pleas.
Subject Matter
In this drawing for a scene from the Ramayana, the hero Rama and his brother Lakshmana are seen entreating Sugriva, king of a divine tribe of monkeys, for aid. The brothers had searched in vain for Sita, Rama’s beloved wife, after she had been abducted from their forest hermitage. While they are conferring, several monkeys of Sugriva’s divine tribe take to the skies, eager to begin the search.
Label Copy
In this drawing for a scene from the Ramayana, the hero Rama and his brother Lakshmana are seen entreating Sugriva, king of a divine tribe of monkeys, for aid. The brothers had searched in vain for Sita, Rama’s beloved wife, after she had been abducted from their forest hermitage. While they are conferring, several monkeys of Sugriva’s divine tribe take to the skies, eager to begin the search. With a few deft strokes the artist conveys the swiftly changing emotions of the moment, as the monkeys respond with astonishment, empathy, and action to Rama’s pleas.
While Western artists are likely to create forms through a repeated cycle of observation and sketching that records their thought processes, Indian artists rarely do so. A fundamental characteristic of Indian drawing and painting is its assured draftsmanship. Indian painters were trained from childhood to master an established repertoire of ideal forms. Drawings such as this one were made from a large set of templates for picturing a classical text, and would be handed down in a family of painters for several generations.
Exhibited in "Divine Encounters, Earthly Pleasures: Twenty Centuries of Indian Art," 12/12/03-2/22/04.
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In this drawing of a scene from the Ramayana, the hero Rama and his brother Lakshmana are seen entreating Sugriva, king of a divine tribe of monkeys, for aid. The brothers had searched in vain for Sita, Rama’s beloved wife, after she had been abducted from their forest hermitage. While they are conferring, several monkeys of Sugriva’s divine tribe take to the skies, eager to begin the search. With a few deft strokes the artist conveys the swiftly changing emotions of the moment, as the monkeys respond to Rama’s pleas with astonishment, empathy, and action.
Drawings such as this one were based on templates for picturing a classical text, which were handed down to painters over several generations. Indian art is characterized by assured draftsmanship and Indian artists were trained from childhood to master an established repertoire of ideal forms.
(6/28/10)
(South and Southeast Asia Gallery Rotation, Spring 2010)
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
In this painting, the hawk perches on the base of a tree, gripping the knotted bark with its talons. Its back is presented to the viewer, bringing attention the impressive patterning and feather detail. Arching its head to the right to reveal a keen awareness of its surroundings coupled with a razor sharp glare, it appears ready to take off after unsuspecting prey.
Subject Matter
In the Momoyama and early Edo (1615–1868) periods, the statuesque and intrepid hawk was a favorite painting motif for patrons from the warrior class, who kept and used hawks for hunting. It was often depicted on folding and sliding screens and this painting was perhaps originally mounted as a screen.
Label Copy
This imposing hawk perches on the base of a tree, gripping the knotted bark with its talons. Its back is presented to the viewer, bringing attention the impressive patterning and feather detail. Arching its head to the right to reveal a keen awareness of its surroundings coupled with a razor sharp glare, it appears ready to take off after unsuspecting prey. In the Momoyama and early Edo (1615–1868) periods, the statuesque and intrepid hawk was a favorite painting motif for patrons from the warrior class, who kept and used hawks for hunting. It was often depicted on folding and sliding screens and this painting was perhaps originally mounted as a screen.
(Gallery Rotation Fall 2011)
Gallery Rotation Fall 2011
Hawk
Japan, Momoyama Period (1583–1615)
17th century
Hanging scroll, ink on paper
Museum purchase made possible by the Margaret Watson Parker Art Collection Fund, 1964/2.62
This imposing hawk perches on the base of a tree, gripping the knotted bark with its talons. Its back is presented to the viewer, bringing attention the impressive patterning and feather detail. Arching its head to the right to reveal a keen awareness of its surroundings and a razor sharp glare, it appears ready to take off after unsuspecting prey. In the Momoyama and early Edo (1615–1868) periods, the statuesque and intrepid hawk was a favorite painting motif for patrons from the warrior class, who kept and used hawks for hunting. It was often depicted on folding and sliding screens and this painting was perhaps originally mounted as a screen.
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
An abstracted sketch drawing of a group of soldiers crossing a stream. The figures are rough outlines done in black with blue ink accents. Some soldiers are on horseback and brandishing swords, possibly as a sign to enemies on the other bank. Other soliders help one another cross the water on foot.
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
This watercolor depicts a group of three children, three adult females, two adult males, and one small dog. An adult male plays a string instrument on the far left side, and an adult female sits on the lower right side; the rest stand. All the figures wear vividly colored clothes.
If you are interested in using an image for a publication, please fax a request to the attention of Orian Neumann, Assistant Registrar, at 734-474-7643. For other queries, email orian@umich.edu.edu.
