三代早川尚古斎造　払子|Fly whisk (Hossu)

Hayakawa Shōkosai III

1920 · Ladyfinger bamboo, rattan, and deer hide · Asian Art

Like his forebears, Hayakawa Shōkosai III created works for use in sencha practices, including this fly whisk. An attribute of Bodhidharma, a semilegendary Buddhist monk, the fly whisk symbolizes the sweeping away of mental distractions and ignorance. Chinese Daoist sages are often represented using the implement to brush away flies while engaged in “pure conversation” with friends. At literati gatherings, such whisks were hung next to the alcove, or tokonoma.

Artist

Hayakawa Shōkosai III

Date

1920

Medium

Ladyfinger bamboo, rattan, and deer hide

Culture

Japan

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Gift of Diane and Arthur Abbey, 2019