Tofu

Daikō Sōgen, c. 1856

Here, a poem by a Zen monk is juxtaposed with the image of a block of tofu. Through clever wordplay, the verses draw a parallel between humanity on the one hand and the seemingly ‘soft’ yet ‘firm’ block of cooked soybeans on the other hand. Shouldn’t people also be ‘gentle’ and ‘pliable’, while simultaneously standing ‘firm’ and ‘resolute’?

  • Artwork typehanging scroll
  • Object numberAK-MAK-1833
  • Dimensionsheight 29.5 cm x width 41.6 cm, height 109 cm x width 44.9 cm, length 49.6 cm
  • Physical characteristicsinktschildering

Identification

  • Title(s)

    Tofu

  • Object type

  • Object number

    AK-MAK-1833

  • Description

    Hangrolschildering in inkt op papier van een voorstelling van een blok tofu, met rechts een gedicht: ' 世の中ハ豆で四角でや王ら可で豆腐の様な人耳な連人, 'yo no naka wa mame de shikaku de, yawaraka de tōfu no yō na hito ni nare hito', vrij vertaald 'de mensen van deze wereld zouden mensen moeten zijn, die net als tofu zowel 'shikaku' ('vierkant' of 'oprecht') zijn, als 'yawaraka' ('zacht' of 'zachtaardig')'. Houten doos.

  • Inscriptions / marks

    signature: ‘八十五翁大綱’

Creation

  • Creation

    painter: Daikō Sōgen, Japan

  • Dating

    c. 1856

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Material and technique

  • Physical description

    inktschildering

  • Dimensions

    • height 29.5 cm x width 41.6 cm
    • height 109 cm x width 44.9 cm
    • length 49.6 cm

Acquisition and rights

  • Credit line

    On loan from the Royal Asian Art Society in The Netherlands (bequest F. Hess, 2023)

  • Copyright

    Public domain

Persistent URL

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  • Tofu
  • Tofu