Bodhidharma Crossing the Yangzi River on a Reed

Shisou, or Old Man Rock, one of the most famous names in late Ming metalwork, is thought to be the art name of a monk who specialized in fine desk objects and Buddhist figural works. His sculpture is finely cast and worked in bronze with details chased and inlaid with silver wire. This work bears a silver-inlaid maker's mark on the back that reads: Shisou. Bodhidharma, or Damo, was an Indian Buddhist missionary who reached China in 526. He is considered the first of the Six Patriarchs of the Buddhist religion. His miraculous crossing of the Yangzi River on a reed, which is the theme depicted here, was a popular subject in Buddhist painting and sculpture.