The Five Ancients
Formerly attributed to Li Congxun (active early 12th century)
15th-early 16th century
Classification
Painting
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Gift of Charles Lang Freer
Accession Number
F1917.128
Tags
Charles Lang Freer collectionChinaChinese ArtMing dynasty (1368 - 1644)cranedeersagetortoise
About this artwork
Accompanied by animals that symbolize longevity, the five elderly gentlemen depicted in this painting may represent China's Five Sacred Mountains, the Five Elements of the Cosmos, or the Five Oldsters of Suiyang, high-ranking ministers of the eleventh century who were admired for serving in office past age eighty. The spirit of the Five Sacred Mountains are associated with the immortals. Originally, the painting was larger. Mounted in a wooden frame, it may have been used as a screen placed behi...