Creative Commons License
Creative Commons License
Panel of a Man in Meditation
(China )
The scenes carved across these five panels (25.26, 25.29, 25.27, 25.28, 25.18) suggest the following story that has a mix of Daoist and Buddhist origins: an ascetic went into the mountains to meditate in solitude. Deeply focused in meditation, he ignored a monkey who offered him fruits to eat and allowed a sparrow to build its nest on his head.
Originally, these panels were part of a larger set that adorned a Buddhist structure like a pagoda. More than mere decoration, such carvings provided visual lessons of Buddhist teachings and, in this case, celebrated the virtues of discipline and steadfastness.
Provenance
Provenance (from the French provenir, 'to come from/forth') is the chronology of the ownership, custody, or location of a historical object. Learn more about provenance at the Walters.
Yamanaka & Co., New York; Henry Walters, Baltimore [date and mode of acquisition unknown]; Walters Art Museum, 1931, by bequest.
Conservation
| Date | Description | Narrative |
|---|---|---|
| 3/2/1965 | Treatment | cleaned |
| 9/27/1990 | Treatment | cleaned; repaired |
Geographies
China (Place of Origin)
Measurements
Average H: 21 x W: 11 3/8 in. (53.4 x 28.9 cm)
Credit Line
Acquired by Henry Walters
Accession Number
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
In libraries, galleries, museums, and archives, an accession number is a unique identifier assigned to each object in the collection.
25.18
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