Parody of a Beautiful Woman as Rin Nasei (Ch. Lin Hejing) with Crane

In this parody of the ancient Chinese poet Lin Hejing (also known as Lin Bu; 967–1028), a fashionable courtesan poses with a crane beneath the delicate blossoms of a plum tree in the cold of early spring. Lin Hejing is said to have lived alone on an island—Gushan, or “Solitary Hill”—in the middle of Hangzhou’s fabled West Lake. The poet’s only companions were pet cranes and his beloved plum trees.