Tenjin Crossing to China

Object Details

• Artist

  Sesshin (late 15th century)

• Description

  Kitano Tenjin is turned slightly, departing from the formal, frontal pose typical of early representations of this subject. He is dressed as a Chinese scholar and holds the plum branch to one side in a relaxed gesture, and his facial expression is gentle and humane.

  In an inscribed wooden storage box, which also contains two identically-inscribed pieces of light green paper and a white inscribed piece of paper.

• Origin

  Japan

• Credit Line

  Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment and funds provided by the Mary Livingston Griggs and Mary Griggs Burke Foundation

• Type

  Painting

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

  There are restrictions for re-using this media. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.

  The information presented on this website may be revised and updated at any time as ongoing research progresses or as otherwise warranted. Pending any such revisions and updates, information on this site may be incomplete or inaccurate or may contain typographical errors. Neither the Smithsonian nor its regents, officers, employees, or agents make any representations about the accuracy, reliability, completeness, or timeliness of the information on the site. Use this site and the information provided on it subject to your own judgment. The National Museum of Asian Art welcomes information that would augment or clarify the ownership history of objects in their collections.

Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1600s, 1560s

• Name

  Sesshin

• Place

  Japan

• Topic

  Art, Muromachi period (1333 - 1573), Scholar, Japanese Art, Portraits, Kakemono

• Culture

  Japanese

• Object Type

  Paintings