Sesson Shūkei (1504–1589), Bodhidharma

This is a Japanese ink-wash hanging scroll depicting Bodhidharma crossing the waters upon a reed, attributed to Sesson Shūkei. The legendary patriarch is rendered almost entirely through broad, sweeping strokes applied with the freedom and rhythm of cursive calligraphy. His voluminous robe is defined by spontaneous washes ranging from pale gray to saturated black, while a few concise lines articulate his limbs and powerful stance. Beneath him, rapidly brushed waves and reeds reinforce the sensation of movement across the water.

Bodhidharma’s face receives greater concentration: the heavy brows, penetrating eyes, beard, and solemn expression emerge from a combination of fine linear accents and softly modulated ink wash. The contrast between the carefully observed face and the radically abbreviated body gives the figure both psychological presence and monumental force.

The uninhibited brushwork, dramatic tonal variation, and deliberate economy of means embody the immediacy central to Japanese Zen ink painting. Rather than describing every physical detail, the artist allows the energy of the brushstroke itself to communicate Bodhidharma’s uncompromising spiritual character. A masterful expression of spontaneous ink painting, the work stands as a compelling example of the Japanese Zen pictorial tradition.

Signed “Sesson hitsu” (雪村筆) at upper right, with a seal.

{Image size: 31 x 14 inches}. {Scroll size: 62 x 17 1/2 inches}.

This work will be featured in the special exhibition Time Well Wasted: Five Hundred Years of Japanese Ink Painting, held at Michaan’s Auctions from August 16 to 21, 2026, and will be published in the accompanying book of the same title by Jingwei Zeng.

Mild horizontal creasing. For condition report and additional photos, please contact the Asian Art Department.