Su Dongpo in a Borrowed Hat
This painting depicts the Song-dynasty poet Su Dongpo (1037–1101), exiled on Hainan Island, in a borrowed bamboo hat and clogs during a sudden downpour. The poem was brushed by Ōsen Keisan, one of the most prominent Zen monks of the fifteenth century. It reads:
雲霧窓耶烟雨村 居中補外捴天恩
九州四海笠簷底 百是千非屐齒痕
Clouds and mist fill the window, alas,
as the village is shrouded in rain and fog.
Whether [an official] serving at court
or dispatched to the provinces,
both are at the behest
of the emperor’s benevolence.
The realm of the Nine Provinces and Four Seas
lies beneath the brim of his bamboo hat.
Hundreds of rights and thousands of wrongs
are tracked by the footprints
of his wooden clogs
—Trans. Tim T. Zhang
雲霧窓耶烟雨村 居中補外捴天恩
九州四海笠簷底 百是千非屐齒痕
Clouds and mist fill the window, alas,
as the village is shrouded in rain and fog.
Whether [an official] serving at court
or dispatched to the provinces,
both are at the behest
of the emperor’s benevolence.
The realm of the Nine Provinces and Four Seas
lies beneath the brim of his bamboo hat.
Hundreds of rights and thousands of wrongs
are tracked by the footprints
of his wooden clogs
—Trans. Tim T. Zhang
Artwork Details
- 横川景三賛 東坡戴笠図
- Title: Su Dongpo in a Borrowed Hat
- Artist: Inscription by Ōsen Keisan (Japanese, 1429–1493)
- Period: Muromachi period (1392–1573)
- Date: late 15th century
- Culture: Japan
- Medium: Hanging scroll; ink on paper
- Dimensions: Image: 30 5/16 × 7 1/2 in. (77 × 19 cm)
Overall with mounting: 59 1/16 × 11 7/8 in. (150 × 30.2 cm)
Overall with knobs: 59 1/16 × 13 9/16 in. (150 × 34.4 cm) - Classification: Paintings
- Credit Line: Mary and Cheney Cowles Collection, Gift of Mary and Cheney Cowles, 2018
- Object Number: 2018.853.6
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art
More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Uto Gyoshi
mid- to late 16th century
Sesson Shūkei
1550s
Sesson Shūkei
ca. 1555–61
Shikibu Terutada
mid-16th century
Japan
16th century
Related Content
Publications
Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.
Research Resources
The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.
To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.
Feedback
We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.