Ink Painting on Silk with a Light Coloured Monkey and Crane

Monkeys and Cranes by Muqi — A Southern Song Masterpiece at the Heart of Japanese Ink Painting

Tucked away in the great Zen monastery of Daitoku-ji in northern Kyoto are two silk hanging scrolls that many specialists consider the most influential Chinese ink paintings ever to arrive in Japan. Painted in the thirteenth century by the Chan Buddhist monk Muqi Fachang, these works depict a mother gibbon cradling her young on a pine branch and a solitary crane emerging from a bamboo grove, its bill parted as though about to call. Together with a central image of the White-Robed Guanyin, they form the triptych known in Japan as the "Kannon, Monkeys and Cranes." For centuries, these paintings have been treasured as the highest expression of what Zen brush art could achieve.

Historical Background

Muqi (known in Chinese as Mu Qi, or by his dharma name Fachang) was a Chan Buddhist monk active in the late thirteenth century, during the final decades of the Southern Song dynasty. He studied under the eminent master Wuzhun Shifan, whose circle also trained many of the Japanese monks who traveled to China in search of Zen teaching. Muqi is said to have restored and served as abbot of Liutong-si, a temple on the shore of the scenic West Lake in Hangzhou, then the Southern Song capital.

Why This Work Was Designated a National Treasure

The Monkeys and Cranes pair was designated a National Treasure of Japan in June 1951, under the national cultural property system that had been reorganized the previous year. The designation recognizes not only the supreme quality of the brushwork but also the profound influence these paintings exerted on the development of Japanese ink painting over more than five centuries.

Several factors combined to secure this status. The scrolls preserve, in exceptionally fine condition, the full range of Muqi's celebrated techniques — soft, boneless outlines, atmospheric washes that evoke moist air and diffused light, and a naturalistic sensitivity to animal form that was almost unprecedented in East Asian religious painting. The works also carry unbroken provenance through the shogunal collections, giving them documentary as well as artistic importance. Finally, their impact on later Japanese masters, most famously Hasegawa Tohaku, whose "Pine Trees" screens are themselves a National Treasure, means that understanding these paintings is essential to understanding Japanese art itself.

Highlights of the Painting

Visitor Information

Daitoku-ji is a vast temple complex in the Murasakino district of northern Kyoto, and serves as the head temple of the Daitoku-ji branch of the Rinzai school of Zen Buddhism. Visitors should be aware that the main abbot's quarters (Honbō), which house the Muqi triptych, are not ordinarily open to the public. The paintings themselves are extremely sensitive to light and humidity and are displayed only on rare occasions, most traditionally at the temple's annual "airing of treasures" event held in October, though viewings depend on the temple's current condition and conservation schedule. High-quality reproductions appear periodically in major exhibitions at museums such as the Kyoto National Museum and the Tokyo National Museum.

Even when the triptych itself cannot be viewed, a visit to the Daitoku-ji complex is deeply rewarding. The temple grounds can be freely walked, and several of the sub-temples (tatchū) — including Daisen-in, Ryōgen-in, Zuihō-in, and Kōtō-in — maintain public opening hours and house remarkable gardens, paintings, and tea ceremony architecture. Seasonal special openings of other sub-temples such as Ōbai-in and Kōrin-in are announced each spring and autumn.

Surrounding Attractions

The Murasakino district rewards unhurried exploration. A short walk south of Daitoku-ji brings you to Imamiya Shrine, known for its ancient aburi-mochi teahouses that have been grilling skewered rice cakes over charcoal for nearly a thousand years. Further south lies the elegant Kitano Tenmangū, famous for its plum blossoms and flea market. West of the temple, the Funaoka Onsen offers a beautifully preserved early twentieth-century bathhouse experience. A longer bus ride or taxi takes you to the Kinkaku-ji Golden Pavilion or the austere rock garden of Ryōan-ji, allowing a full day of Zen-focused sightseeing. For those drawn to ink painting, the Kyoto National Museum south of the city center holds several related works and hosts periodic special exhibitions devoted to Muqi and his followers.