Tōkaibō with a Fishing Basket

Soga Shōhaku

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Dynamically rendered in pale gray ink, a wizened Chinese sagelike figure holds a fishing basket while sitting in a thatched lean-to. His courtier’s cap, gourd jug, and the rocky crag he sits on are highlighted in dark tones. The scene refers to a legendary event in the life of the Chinese nobleman Jiang Ziya (fl. 11th century BC), who is better known as Grand Duke Wang (Taigong Wang), or in Japanese as Taikōbō. One day, legend has it, Emperor Wu Wang while on a hunting trip came across Jiang Ziya fishing and was surprised to learn that the old man did not bait his hook, but waited for the fish to come to him, and was not concerned if he caught no fish at all. Impressed by his strategy of patience, the emperor brought him on as a military advisor, who ultimately helped Kings Wen and Wu of Zhou overthrow the Shang. The presence of the small seal reading “Soga Teruo” helps narrow down the date of execution to around 1768.

Asian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

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.

Metropolitan Museum of Art