Eight Daoist Immortals, Cranes, and Gibbons

Eight Daoist Immortals, Cranes, and Gibbons

Kano Tanshin (Morimasa)

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The central scroll of this monumental triptych shows the Eight Daoist Immortals, flanked by images of cranes and monkeys. Most of the immortals are easily identifiable. In the foreground are two who are often paired in Japan: Li Tieguai, who creates a miniature image of himself by blowing into the air, and Liu Haichan, with his mythical toad. Behind them is the sole female member of the Eight, He Xiangu, with a peach, a symbol of fertility, longevity, and purity. In the background Lu Dongbin paints an image of his dragon adversary in the air, while Zhang Guolao releases a miniature mule from a bag. The old gentleman flying down through the sky on a crane may be Zhongli Quan, considered the leader of the group.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Eight Daoist Immortals, Cranes, and GibbonsEight Daoist Immortals, Cranes, and GibbonsEight Daoist Immortals, Cranes, and GibbonsEight Daoist Immortals, Cranes, and GibbonsEight Daoist Immortals, Cranes, and Gibbons

The Met's collection of Asian art—more than 35,000 objects, ranging in date from the third millennium B.C. to the twenty-first century—is one of the largest and most comprehensive in the world. Each of the many civilizations of Asia is represented by outstanding works, providing an unrivaled experience of the artistic traditions of nearly half the world.