Skip to main content Skip to main navigation
heart-solid My Visit Donate
Home Smithsonian Institution IK development site for ODI
Press Enter to activate a submenu, down arrow to access the items and Escape to close the submenu.
    • Overview
    • Museums and Zoo
    • Entry and Guidelines
    • Museum Maps
    • Dine and Shop
    • Accessibility
    • Visiting with Kids
    • Group Visits
    • Overview
    • Exhibitions
    • Online Events
    • All Events
    • IMAX & Planetarium
    • Overview
    • Topics
    • Collections
    • Research Resources
    • Stories
    • Podcasts
    • Overview
    • For Caregivers
    • For Educators
    • For Students
    • For Academics
    • For Lifelong Learners
    • Overview
    • Become a Member
    • Renew Membership
    • Make a Gift
    • Volunteer
    • Overview
    • Our Organization
    • Our Leadership
    • Reports and Plans
    • Newsdesk
heart-solid My Visit Donate

Bodhidharma Meditating

Asian Art Museum

There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page .
International media Interoperability Framework
IIIF provides researchers rich metadata and media viewing options for comparison of works across cultural heritage collections. Visit the IIIF page to learn more.
View manifest View in Mirador Viewer

Object Details

Artist

Jin Nong (1687-1763)

Label

Bodhidharma was a Buddhist teacher from south India who traveled to China around C.E. 500. There he founded the Chan (Zen) sect of Buddhism, which stresses silent meditation and rejects the study of texts, worship of images, and ritual performances. It is said that Bodhidharma spent nine years seated before a wall in silent meditation, a feat that provides the subject of this painting. In old age Jin Nong lived in a Buddhist monastery, so the subject of Bodhidharma may have held strong personal appeal for him.

Collection

National Museum of Asian Art Collection

Exhibition History

The Arts of China (November 18, 1990 to September 7, 2014)

Credit Line

Transfer from the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution

Date

1762

Period

Qing dynasty

Accession Number

S1990.14

Restrictions & Rights

Usage conditions apply

Type

Painting

Medium

Ink and colors on paper

Dimensions

H x W (image): 81.6 x 26.5 cm (32 1/8 x 10 7/16 in)

Origin

China

Related Online Resources

Google Arts & Culture

See more items in

National Museum of Asian Art

Data Source

National Museum of Asian Art

Topic

Buddhism
Zen Buddhism
Bodhidharma
Qing dynasty (1644 - 1911)
meditation
China
Chinese Art

Metadata Usage

Not determined

Link to Original Record

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/ye37de6d99b-3abf-404f-ab7e-7b297949c795

Record ID

fsg_S1990.14
arrow-up Back to top
Home
  • Facebook facebook
  • Instagram instagram
  • LinkedIn linkedin
  • YouTube youtube

  • Contact Us
  • Get Involved
  • Shop Online
  • Job Opportunities
  • Equal Opportunity
  • Inspector General
  • Records Requests
  • Accessibility
  • Host Your Event
  • Press Room
  • Privacy
  • Terms of Use