Hasegawa Tōhaku's 'Pine Trees' ('Shōrin-zu byōbu', late 16th century) is a pair of six-panel folding screens depicting a mist-shrouded pine forest rendered entirely in ink on gold-sprinkled paper. Refining the Chinese Song tradition of ink painting through the distinctively Japanese command of empty space, the work shows no figures, buildings, or birds — only mist, pines, and silence. Designated a National Treasure of Japan and held by the Tokyo National Museum, it is the supreme example of Momoyama-period ink screens.

Exhibition Venue

Tokyo National Museum

Tokyo, Japan

Related Stories

도쿄 국립박물관: 천년의 예술, 동양의 숨결을 품은 곳

Explore the Tokyo National Museum in Ueno Park, a general museum showcasing a va