Chinese Poem on Fishing and Zen 1468 - 1499

This hanging scroll, created by Japanese artist Osen Keisan between 1468 and 1499, is a testament to the intersection of Zen philosophy and artistic expression in the Muromachi Period. The artwork features a carefully crafted poem in elegant calligraphy on a red ground, framed by a luxurious gold brocade with floral motifs. The composition, with its simple elegance and emphasis on the written word, embodies the Zen ideal of finding beauty in the ordinary and achieving enlightenment through contemplation. The scroll, now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, offers a window into the aesthetic and spiritual values of 15th-century Japan.