Fish-basket Guanyin

Guanyin holds a bamboo branch in one hand and in the other a basket containing a carp resting on a bed of bamboo branches. Beside the Guanyin are two boys, one with a lotus in a vase and the other with a bucket decorated with a lotus motif. All three figures are surrounded by rocks and clouds. No labels, seals or inscriptions.

Historical period(s)
Qing dynasty, 17th-18th century
Medium
Ink and color on silk
Dimensions
H x W (image): 176.7 x 73.6 cm (69 9/16 x 29 in)
Geography
China
Credit Line
Gift of Charles Lang Freer
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art
Accession Number
F1904.2
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Painting
Type

Hanging scroll (mounted on panel)

Keywords
bodhisattva, Buddhism, carp, China, Guanyin, lotus, Qing dynasty (1644 - 1911)
Provenance

Temple of Koya-san, Jizo [1]

To 1904
Yamanaka & Company, to 1904 [2]

From 1904 to 1919
Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Yamanaka & Company in 1904 [3]

From 1920
Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [4]

Notes:

[1] According to Curatorial Remark 3, an undated folder sheet note, in the object record, which states, "'From Jizo --- in temple of Koya-san.' See List."

[2] Original folder sheet note. Also see Original Kakemono and Makimono List, L. 355, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. The majority of Charles Lang Freer’s purchases from Yamanaka & Company were made at its New York branch. Yamanaka & Company maintained branch offices, at various times, in Boston, Chicago, London, Peking, Shanghai, Osaka, Nara, and Kyoto. During the summer, the company also maintained seasonal locations in Newport, Bar Harbor, and Atlantic City.

[3] See note 2.

[4] 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.

Previous Owner(s) and Custodian(s)

Jizo-in, sub-temple of Koya-san
Charles Lang Freer 1854-1919
Yamanaka and Co. (C.L. Freer source) 1917-1965

Description

Guanyin holds a bamboo branch in one hand and in the other a basket containing a carp resting on a bed of bamboo branches. Beside the Guanyin are two boys, one with a lotus in a vase and the other with a bucket decorated with a lotus motif. All three figures are surrounded by rocks and clouds. No labels, seals or inscriptions.

Published References
  • Suzuki Kei. Chugoku kaiga sogo zuroku [Comprehensive Illustrated Catalog of Chinese Painting]. 5 vols., Tokyo, 1982-1983. vol. 1: p. 256.
  • Dr. Ananda K. Coomaraswamy. Buddha and the Gospel of Buddhism. London and New York. opp. p. 344, pl. HH.
  • Helen W. Henderson. The Art Treasures of Washington: An Account of the Corcoran Gallery of Art and of the National Gallery and Museum, with Descriptions and Criticisms of their Contents. The Art Galleries of America series Boston. opp. p. 252.
  • unknown title. Detroit, November 1908. frontispiece.
  • Ernest Francisco Fenollosa. Epochs of Chinese and Japanese Art: An Outline History of East Asiatic Design. 2 vols., London and New York. vol. 1 (1912): p. 132.
  • Laurence Binyon. Painting in the Far East: An Introduction to the History of Pictorial Art in Asia Especially China and Japan., 1st ed. London and New York, 1908 - 1969. .
  • Gaston Migeon. Chefs-d'œuvre d'art japonais. Paris. pl. 2, no. 7.
  • Frederick William Gookin. Catalogue of a Loan Exhibition of Ancient Chinese Paintings, Sculptures and Jade Objects from the Collection formed by Charles Lang Freer, and Given by Him to the Nation through the Smithsonian Institution, Exhibition November 15 to December 8, 1917. Exh. cat. Chicago, November 15 - December 8, 1917. cat. 10, p. 18.
  • Osvald Siren. Chinese Paintings in American Collections. Annales du Musee Guimet. Bibliotheque d'art. Nouvelle serie. II Paris and Brussels, 1927-1928. p. 158.
Collection Area(s)
Chinese Art
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
SI Usage Statement

Usage Conditions Apply

There are restrictions for re-using this image. 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 Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery welcome information that would augment or clarify the ownership history of objects in their collections.

citation | Save this image How to download an image | Request Permission | Terms of Use