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Chinese Poem on the Autumn Moon by Hanshan

Baisaō Japanese
1760
Not on view
Baisaō, an Ōbaku Zen monk whose name literally means “the old man who sells tea,” played a key role in popularizing sencha, a Chinese style of steeped tea. Drawing on the calligraphy tradition established by his Chinese predecessors, he developed a bold, dynamic, yet flowing style. Here, he inscribed a famous verse by Hanshan, an eccentric monk of eighth-century China, which had become popular among Japanese tea adepts:

吾心似秋月　碧潭清皎潔
無物堪比倫　教我如何説

My heart is like the autumn moon,
shining clean and clear
in the green pool.
Nothing in existence rivals it,
instructing me on how to preach.
—Adapted from Burton Watson

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • 売茶翁筆　寒山五言絶句「秋月」
  • Title: Chinese Poem on the Autumn Moon by Hanshan
  • Artist: Baisaō (Japanese, 1675–1763)
  • Period: Edo period (1615–1868)
  • Date: 1760
  • Culture: Japan
  • Medium: Hanging scroll; ink on paper
  • Dimensions: Image: 11 1/4 × 19 11/16 in. (28.5 × 50 cm)
    Overall with mounting: 45 1/16 × 25 3/16 in. (114.5 × 64 cm)
    Overall with knobs: 45 1/16 × 27 7/16 in. (114.5 × 69.7 cm)
  • Classification: Calligraphy
  • Credit Line: Mary and Cheney Cowles Collection, Gift of Mary and Cheney Cowles, 2018
  • Object Number: 2018.853.24
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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