ID Number

Title

Item Name

Culture

Material

Manufacturing Technique

Date Made

Maker

Place Made

Date Collected

Date Owned

Owner

Owner

Owner

Acquisition Date

Source

Source

Measurements

Item Classes

Condition

Accession Number

Description

Painting consisting of a scene painted on silk depicting a gathering of artists along a river. From right to left: river starts near top and passes under a bridge, with a man and a boy carrying a lute. The river then runs across with trees on both banks and wine cups floating along. Groups of men and boys are on both sides of the river, painting on rocks; floating wine cups; writing on scrolls; making tea on a stove which is on a table. At left is a house on stilts with two men and a boy with brushes and a scroll. There are six very worn characters and two seals at left. There is a half round of wood and a cord at each end.

Narrative

This handscroll painting was collected by Canadian missionary doctor Richard Brown in Japan immediately after World War Two.

History Of Use

The painting depicts an actual gathering of prominent scholars in China in the year 353; they were invited by the great writer and calligrapher Wang Xizhi to a poetry competition. In Japan, the event has been re-enacted since the tenth century, and artists have depicted it in paintings and prints. The artist’s teacher, Ike no Taiga, produced numerous versions of the image to meet heavy demand from clients. In creating his own version, Gogaku was influenced by the Chinese literati style.