ticketsMember | Make a donation

Grapes

ca. 1480–92
Not on view
In this tour de force of brushwork, the monk-calligrapher Motsurin Jōtō rendered clusters of grapes and leaves on a vine. In addition to the varied tones achieved with the brush, Motsurin impressed his fingerprints into some of the grapes while the ink was wet, imbuing the work with distinctive traces of the physical act of creation. Above, four columns of a Chinese poem appear in Motsurin’s own dynamic calligraphy:

醉中倒東海　拾得老龍鬚
醒來間点撿　猶自帶驪珠　　
　
While drunk,
I fell into the Eastern Sea,
Reaching for and grasping
the aged dragon’s whiskers.
After finally awakening
and examining things,
I am still carrying
the dragon’s black pearls.

—Trans. Tim T. Zhang

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • 没倫紹等(墨斎)筆　葡萄図
  • Title: Grapes
  • Artist: Motsurin Jōtō (Bokusai) (Japanese, died 1492)
  • Period: Muromachi period (1392–1573)
  • Date: ca. 1480–92
  • Culture: Japan
  • Medium: Hanging scroll; ink on paper
  • Dimensions: Image: 17 9/16 × 15 3/16 in. (44.6 × 38.6 cm)
    Overall with mounting: 50 7/8 × 20 9/16 in. (129.2 × 52.2 cm)
  • Classification: Paintings
  • Credit Line: Mary and Cheney Cowles Collection, Gift of Mary and Cheney Cowles, 2022
  • Object Number: 2022.432.7
  • Curatorial Department: Asian Art

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Couplet from the Chinese Poem “Grasses” by Bai Juyi, Motsurin Jōtō (Bokusai) Japanese, Hanging scroll; ink on paper, Japan
Couplet from the Chinese Poem “Grasses” by Bai Juyi
Motsurin Jōtō (Bokusai)
15th century
Plum Blossoms, Motsurin Jōtō (Bokusai) Japanese, Hanging scroll; ink on paper, Japan
Plum Blossoms
Motsurin Jōtō (Bokusai)
15th century
Three Poetic Verses of Teaching by Ikkyū Given to His Disciples, Motsurin Jōtō (Bokusai) Japanese, Hanging scroll; ink on paper, Japan
Three Poetic Verses of Teaching by Ikkyū Given to His Disciples
Motsurin Jōtō (Bokusai)
late 15th century
Birds and Flowers of Summer and Autumn, Shikibu Terutada Japanese, Pair of hanging scrolls; ink and color on paper, Japan
Birds and Flowers of Summer and Autumn
Shikibu Terutada
mid-16th century
Musk Cat, Uto Gyoshi Japanese, Hanging scroll; ink and color on paper, Japan
Musk Cat
Uto Gyoshi
mid- to late 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.