Vase with Rin Nasei (Ch. Lin Hejing) and crane

Lionized poets from Chinese antiquity, such as the famous Song dynasty recluse-poet Lin Hejing (also Lin Bu; 967–1028), were a popular motif in Japanese painting and decorative arts, beginning in the medieval period. Lin Hejing is said to have lived a solitary life with only a crane to keep him company. Here, the poet and his crane cling to either side of the neck of this bronze vase.