On loan to The Met The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.

Zhong Kui with Tiger and Bat

Kenkō Shōkei Japanese

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 229

This auspicious painting is by the Zen monk Kenkō Shōkei, a leading painter in eastern Japan around the former capital Kamakura. It shows Daoist figure Zhong Kui (Japanese: Shōki), a queller of demons associated with healing and good health, riding a tiger below a bat. A copy of this work by Shōkei’s prominent follower Keison is held in the collection of the Tochigi Prefectural Museum of Art in Japan. This previously unknown example of Shōkei’s work is being exhibited here for the first time.



On display for rotations 3 and 4.

Zhong Kui with Tiger and Bat, Kenkō Shōkei (Japanese, active ca. 1478–ca. 1523), Hanging scroll; ink and color on paper, Japan

Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Open Access

As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.

API

Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.

Zhong Kui with Tiger and Bat, Kenkō Shōkei (Japanese, active ca. 1478–ca. 1523), Hanging scroll; ink and color on paper, Japan
Zhong Kui with Tiger and Bat, Kenkō Shōkei (Japanese, active ca. 1478–ca. 1523), Hanging scroll; ink and color on paper, Japan

This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.