Reeds and Geese

Zen monks, tea masters, shoguns, industrialists, collectors, and connoisseurs come together through the Japanese art collection bequeathed to the museum by George Gund III. Reeds and Geese: Japanese Art from the Collection of George Gund III will be the first time a major selection of works from this collection will be on view since 2000. A highlight is the exceptionally rare early Japanese ink painting Reeds and Geese inscribed by Chinese émigré monk Yishan Yining between 1314 and 1317 as well as other ink paintings and ceramics associated with tea culture. Beginning in the 1200s Chinese Chan (Zen) Buddhist monks brought calligraphy, poetry, ink paintings, and aesthetically compelling, useful objects to Japan, transforming the Japanese visual landscape in ways that still impact Japanese culture today.

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website