Zen and Ink Painting | 13th–16th century

Landscape (detail)
By Shōkei, Muromachi period, 15th century

Japanese Gallery (Honkan) Room 3
May 25, 2021 (Tue) - July 4, 2021 (Sun)

Zen Buddhism was introduced from China, and had widespread influence on culture in Japan. Zen does not stress elaborate rituals or the study of sacred texts. Rather, it teaches that meditation and daily tasks, even cooking and cleaning, are the way to spiritual enlightenment. In the 13th century, monks brought Zen to Japan as a complete school of Buddhist thought.

These monks also brought the latest cultural practices from China. One of them was ink painting, which uses expressive lines and delicate gradations to portray nature and people. Ink painting spread beyond Zen temples and became a major artistic tradition in Japan.

Another practice was calligraphy by Zen masters, which was prized for its spiritual and aesthetic value. Along with the painting and calligraphy shown here, Zen Buddhism influenced tea ceremony, garden design, and many other forms of art.

Major Work(s) on Exhibit 2 results

	Designation	Name	Creation/ Excavation/ Provenance	Period	Acquisition/ Ownership/ Accession Number	CMT
Highlight		Landscape	By Shōkei	Muromachi period, 15th century	A-12315
Highlight		Letter	By Kokan Shiren (1278–1346)	Kamakura period, 14th century	B-2445

Exhibitions

Exhibitions and Events