八仙猿鶴図|Eight Daoist Immortals, Cranes, and Gibbons

Kano Tanshin (Morimasa) 狩野探信

late 17th–early 18th century · Triptych of hanging scrolls; ink and color on silk · Asian Art

The central scroll of this monumental triptych shows the Eight Daoist Immortals, flanked by images of cranes and monkeys. Most of the immortals are easily identifiable. In the foreground are two who are often paired in Japan: Li Tieguai, who creates a miniature image of himself by blowing into the air, and Liu Haichan, with his mythical toad. Behind them is the sole female member of the Eight, He Xiangu, with a peach, a symbol of fertility, longevity, and purity. In the background Lu Dongbin paints an image of his dragon adversary in the air, while Zhang Guolao releases a miniature mule from a bag. The old gentleman flying down through the sky on a crane may be Zhongli Quan, considered the leader of the group.

Artist

Kano Tanshin (Morimasa) 狩野探信

Date

late 17th–early 18th century

Medium

Triptych of hanging scrolls; ink and color on silk

Culture

Japan

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Charles Stewart Smith Collection, Gift of Mrs. Charles Stewart Smith, Charles Stewart Smith Jr., and Howard Caswell Smith, in memory of Charles Stewart Smith, 1914