A guest feature by Littlestone.
The Six Persimmons by Mu Ch’i. Chinese, 13th century
I was struck by The Sarsen Slumberer’s words below when he/she reminds us that –
The material remains of our past are finite and sacrosanct; by denying them the respect they deserve we at once relegate them to whatever is fashionable at the moment whilst denying future generations their cultural heritage.
Though perhaps somewhat outside The Heritage Trust’s remit, I was reminded this morning of the selfless act of a Buddhist monk who allegedly gave up his life to save a precious Chinese painting – an act that stands in stark contrast to those who would destroy our heritage for fleeting fame or ideology
Browsing through some of my old art books this morning I pulled out one of my favourites – Chinese Painting by Peter C. Swann. I picked up the book in Oxford during the early 60s while still an art student at Swindon School of Arts and Crafts. The book, and particularly the cover painting, had a profound effect on me as a young man – life-changing you might even say. The book’s cover shows a painting (above) by Mu Ch’i, an early 13th century artist and Ch’an (Zen) practitioner. Measuring only 38cm x 36cm, the painting depicts six persimmons, simply but masterfully executed in ink on paper. The painting (in hanging scroll format) is now housed in Ryoko-in, one of the sub-temples of the Daitoku-ji temple in Kyoto.
I was so struck by this painting, and with a growing interest in Zen Buddhism, that I decided to go to Japan to see the scroll for myself (the faith and innocence of the young!). It took me some two and a half years to raise the money for the trip, get a place at Kyoto University of Fine Arts and organise a visa. But in the end I did find myself knocking on the gate of the Ryoko-in temple one autumn morning in 1966 and asking if I could see the painting – only to be told by an incredulous looking monk to go away as the painting was hardly ever put on display and never shown to passing strangers.
After waiting so long and coming so far I was naturally disappointed – muttering to myself that a painting as famous as Mu Ch’i’s Six Persimmons should be on permanent display somewhere. Only later did I learn that displaying Far Eastern works of pictorial art on a permanent basis is not a very good idea from a conservation point of view.* More importantly, the Six Persimmons painting is revered so highly that having it on permanent display would in some way devalue its importance. There’s even a story that the Ryoko-in temple once burned down and the painting was only saved from the flames by the dedication of a monk who cut open his belly and thrust the scroll inside for safekeeping – the stains in the right half of the painting are said to come from his act of selfless devotion – a far cry from the pottery-smashing antics of Ai WeiWei, the religious bigotry of the Taliban or of any group or individual that wantonly destroys our common heritage for their own narrow and self-serving agendas.
* See also our feature Hyōgu: The ancient art of picture conservation in Japan.
6 comments
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04/06/2013 at 3:07 am
Harriet Chino
In 1974 when I was 28 years old, I traveled to Japan with my husband, Kobun Chino, a Soto Zen Buddhist monk, and with my two children, Yoshiko, 1 years old and Taido, 2 1/2 years old. The purpose of our trip was to visit my husband’s family at their family temple in Kamo-shi, Niigata-ken. While in Japan, we also traveled to Kyoto as I too wished to see the painting Six Persimmons which had been my favorite painting for about 11 years. I knew it was housed at a subtemple in the Daitokuji temple complex. We stopped at the temple and asked to see the painting. We were told that the priest was busy and asked to return later.
When we returned we met with the chief priest and my husband explained that I wished to see the painting Six Persimmons. We were told that it was only shown 1 day of the year due to its frail condition.
However, the Daitokuji priest said that he was the person who had discovered the type of rice paper on which the original painting was painted. He disappeared but returned shortly with a copy of the original painting done on the original type of rice paper.
He told us that, “whoever understands this painting understands Zen”. I cannot honestly say that I “understand” the painting or Zen for that matter, I only know that I have been drawn to the painting for most of my life.
My husband spent a pleasant hour speaking with the Daitokuji (Rinzai) priest while I spent my time chasing my 1 year old daughter, Yoshiko, to keep her from falling down the deep well in the middle of the beautiful garden enclosed within the temple walls.
When I returned to the United States, we sent the painting back to Japan to be mounted as a scroll. The craftsman did so beautifully. To this day, I have this painting and display it in the autumn, the season of persimmons.
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04/06/2013 at 8:33 am
Littlestone
Thank you for your interesting comment Harriet.
I never did get to see the painting (although it was exhibited at Kyoto National Museum for a few days back in the 70s I think) I did however end up studying Zen at another of Daitoku-ji’s sub-temples for a year or so before embarking on a long career learning the art of conserving and mounting Far Eastern pictorial art.
Just one minor point if I may. ‘Rice paper’ is something of a misnomer – most Japanese paper is made from the inner bark of the mulberry in a way unique to Japan. The Six Persimmons, however, being a Chinese painting, is probably executed on paper obtained from bamboo.
I hope you continue to enjoy many more years viewing your copy.
LS
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10/12/2013 at 10:47 pm
Anne
Hi, I have been looking around the internet to try and find a copy/reproduction of Six Persimmons to give as a gift to someone who adores it but somehow can’t find it anywhere. Is it possible to find a reproduction anywhere for purchase?
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17/06/2014 at 3:22 pm
Geoffrey Green
me too
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02/12/2014 at 6:09 pm
Glenda
Me too also
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30/06/2018 at 9:04 am
Doug Whelan
I live in Australia and have been to the sub-temple in Kyoto. to try to see the original. Alas I was not allowed to see the wonderful painting of Six Persimmons. I first saw the painting in an encyclopedia of world art and was instantly captivated by it’s simplicity. I asked my wife if she could find a print for me. Much later I was presented with a brown paper package , string tied and it was a copy, painted by my wife, of Six Persimmons. A very true rendering. My prized possession. My wife died in 2014 and soon after I travelled to Kyoto with the painting rolled in a scroll in the hope that I could have had it blessed. Three young Zen monks took the scroll to the entrance of the sub-temple where, I can only presume they blessed it. I wept. I am at a loss to know the true meaning of the painting, I know that it gives me great joy.
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