Daoist Riding Horned Animal 960 - 1279

Curator: I’m struck by how subtle this piece is—it’s easy to miss at first glance. Editor: Right? Initially, I see only muted tones, like old parchment. The materials definitely dictate the overall impression here. Curator: This ink drawing, "Daoist Riding Horned Animal," comes from the Song or Yuan dynasty period, so roughly 960 to 1279 AD. The Metropolitan Museum of Art attributes it to Tong R\u00eanyi. Notice how the ink almost blends into the support. Editor: It’s intentionally understated, it seems. The animal, the rider, and even the landscape melt together. What kind of material do you think was used? Paper? Silk? The weave looks fairly coarse, suggesting an emphasis on accessible, local sourcing. Curator: My reading leads me to believe paper, but given the survival and level of detail, I'm guessing it was a prepared or treated paper to resist aging or ink bleed. What I find striking is the horned animal itself. It feels mythical, but the depiction is rather humble. It reminds me of depictions of unicorns—a potent symbol that appears in wildly different cultures. What significance do you suppose it had in its original context? Editor: I think understanding the labor behind making such drawing could help. Consider the grinding of ink, preparing the support… each step dictates the final product, its value, its accessibility to certain social groups. If it involved complex process and expensive supplies then there could have been a limited production. Curator: I agree the process affects the final result; the meditative nature of ink preparation connects with the figure depicted. I'm left wondering who would have been able to see it at the time and how the symbolism would have affected the medieval viewer. The drawing possesses a meditative quiet, both from a material and spiritual perspective. Editor: Exactly! From material selection to artistic vision, understanding artistic creation expands possibilities to question its existence. This piece certainly leaves a lasting impression.