Snuff bottle with inscribed poem about Hanshan and Shide

1736-1795

Lapis lazuli was an expensive and versatile mineral. Finely ground, it was used as painting pigment. On one side, this piece has a subtly carved waterfall and figure standing beneath a pine tree. On the other side is a poem about the semi-legendary recluse-poet Hanshan (Cold Mountain) and his monk companion, Shide.

Lapis lazuli

2 5/16 x 13/16 x 2 in. (5.9 x 2 x 5.1 cm)

Overall h.: 2 13/16 in.

Eugene Fuller Memorial Collection

33.1004

Photo: Elizabeth Mann

Now on view at the Asian Art Museum

Resources

Exhibition HistorySeattle, Washington, Seattle Asian Art Museum, Boundless: Stories of Asian Art, Feb. 8, 2020 - ongoing.

Seattle Art Museum respectfully acknowledges that we are on Indigenous land, the traditional territories of the Coast Salish people. We honor our ongoing connection to these communities past, present, and future.

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