The compassionate Bodhisattva Shokannon, a majestic carved and lacquered wood statue standing on a lotus base, dates to the 12th century, Japan's Heian period. The figure emits an aura of absolute tranquility that is reinforced by a shawl and scarf draped over his shoulder. For many years he enjoyed a life of leisure but eventually was forced to go to work for a living. Enamored of both portraiture and landscape, he often mingled the two. In a happy scroll we see Chou Moushu at a pond's edge, leaning on an armrest and admiring floating lotus blossoms.
Horizontal lines suggest the still waters, broad washes proclaim land.
It shows a courtier on an autumn mountainside who encounters a Buddhist monk and asks him to carry a letter back to Kyoto. A small and inelegant creature, yet untiring and resourceful, the Mongolian horse left its imprint on both Eastern and Western worlds. Later this horse brought the Turks, descendents of Mongol warriors, to the gates of Vienna and the French at Poitiers. The Mongols were nomads following their cattle, camels and sheep across Eastern and Central Asia for centuries. One of their number, Babur, founded the Mugal empire of India.