Formerly attributed to Li Cheng 李成 (919-967) Search this
Medium:
Ink and color on silk
Dimensions:
H x W (image): 174 x 89.2 cm (68 1/2 x 35 1/8 in)
Type:
Painting
Origin:
China
Date:
ca. 1600
Period:
Ming dynasty
Label:
The scene depicted in this painting comes from the story of Fei Changfang, a Daoist magician who lived during the Eastern Han dynasty (25-220 C.E.). Originally a watchman in the city market, Fei learned that an unusual old man who sold medicines and potions there was actually an immortal spirit banished for a time from heaven, but whose penance on earth was coming to an end. The old man invited Fei to join him in the spiritual realm to learn about the Dao and, while traveling together, he administered three ordeals to see if Fei was truly ready to receive his secrets.
Unfortunately, Fei failed the third test, and as he took his leave to return home, the old man gave him a bamboo staff, saying, "Ride this and it will take you where you want to go. When you arrive, just throw the staff into Gebei pond." Fei Changfang then straddled the bamboo staff and in an instant had returned home. When he threw his staff into the nearby pond as instructed, it transformed into a dragon and flew away. Using a magical charm the old man had given him, Fei went on to a career as a defender of the area from evil spirits.
The painting shows Fei Changfang standing on a promontory beneath an enormous cypress tree. He has thrown the bamboo staff into Gebei pond, and as he looks over his shoulder, it begins to change into a dragon, with just its blurry head emerging from the shaft.
The cypress is a hardy evergreen known for living to a great age, and its contorted upper branches are often compared to a dragon's head. In this painting, therefore, the ancient tree not only represents Fei Changfang's innate moral character, but also forms a direct visual counterpart to the transformation of his traveling staff.
Provenance:
To 1911
Sung, China, to 1911 [1]
From 1911 to 1919
Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Sung in 1911 [2]
From 1920
Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [3]
Notes:
[1] See Original Kakemono and Makimono List, L. 855, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. This object exhibits seals, colophons, or inscriptions that could provide additional information regarding the object’s history; see Curatorial Remarks in the object record for further details.
[2] See note 1.
[3] The original deed of Charles Lang Freer's gift was signed in 1906. The collection was received in 1920 upon the completion of the Freer Gallery.
Collection:
Freer Gallery of Art Collection
Exhibition History:
Looking Out, Looking In: Art in Late Imperial China (October 14, 2017 - ongoing)
Old Tales Retold: Narrative in Chinese Painting (April 20 to October 20, 2013)
Three Friends of Winter: Pine, Bamboo, and Plum in Chinese Painting (August 12, 2001 to February 3, 2002)
Ming Dynasty Calligraphy and Painting (February 8, 1985 to August 26, 1985)
Ming Dynasty Paintings (December 4, 1978 to June 14, 1979)
Chinese Album Leaves and Fan Paintings (September 14, 1977 to April 8, 1978)
Chinese Art (January 1, 1963 to March 6, 1981)
Chinese Paintings (June 5, 1957 to January 1, 1963)
Untitled Exhibition, Chinese Painting and Calligraphy, 1947 (January 7, 1947 to April 11, 1955)
