Bodhidharma Crossing the Yangzi on a Reed

Detail of a pattern
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Terms of Use

Creative Commons

At A Glance

  • Period

    15th century
  • Geography

    Japan
  • Material

    Ink on silk
  • Dimension

    H x W (image): 46.7 × 26 cm (18 3/8 × 10 1/4 in)
  • Accession Number

    F1907.141
  • EDAN ID

    edanmdm:fsg_F1907.141

Object Details

  • Provenance

    To 1907
    Viscount Akimoto, Tokyo, Japan, to 1907 [1]
    From 1907 to 1919
    Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased in Kyoto, Japan, through Viscount Akimoto's agent, in spring of 1907 [2]
    From 1920
    Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [3]
    Notes:
    [1] See Original Kakemono and Makimono List, L. 545, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. While the Freer files only identify the source of this painting as “Count Akimoto, Tokyo,” given the date of purchase (1907), the most likely individual is Akimoto Okitomo (1857–1917), who at the time held the hereditary rank of viscount (see Object Documentation, Song and Yuan Dynasty Painting and Calligraphy [http://www.asia.si.edu/SongYuan/]).
    [2] See note 1.
    [3] The original deed of Charles Lang Freer's gift was signed in 1906. The collection was received in 1920 upon the completion of the Freer Gallery.
  • Collection

    Freer Gallery of Art Collection
  • Exhibition History

    Mind Over Matter: Zen in Medieval Japan (March 5, 2022 - July 24, 2022)
    Zen, Tea, and Chinese Art in Medieval Japan (December 13, 2014 to June 14, 2015)
    Tea Taste in Japanese Art (1963)
    Ancient Chinese Paintings, Sculptures, and Jade Objects from the Collection formed by Charles Lang Freer (November 15 to December 08, 1917)
  • Previous custodian or owner

    Viscount Akimoto (1857-1917) (C.L. Freer source)
    Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919)
  • Origin

    Japan
  • Credit Line

    Gift of Charles Lang Freer
  • Type

    Painting
  • Restrictions and Rights

    CC0 - Creative Commons (CC0 1.0)

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