Three Laughs at Tiger Brook (Translation)
青玉虎溪三笑圖山子 清中期 (Primary Title)
sculpture (Object Name)

Unknown (Artist)

18th century
Chinese
Nephrite
Overall: 5 1/4 × 3 7/8 × 3 in. (13.34 × 9.84 × 7.62 cm)
96.84
Not on view

This green jade boulder is engraved with three legendary Chinese sages in a mountain grove, a reference to the proverb of the three men laughing at the Tiger Brook. In the 4th century, Buddhist monk Huiyuan lived a reclusive life in Mount Lu, never venturing across the Tiger Brook nearby. One day after a visit from the poet Tao Yuanming and the Daoist master Lu Xiujing, he escorted them out, walking along while chatting attentively. Suddenly, they heard the roar of tigers, a warning that they had crossed the brook. They all laughed together at their unintentional journey. The story conveys a harmonious relationship among Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism—three teachings of ancient China. 

 

Qing dynasty (1644-1911)
None
None
Gift of the Estate of Senator Hugh Scott
Image released via Creative Commons CC-BY-NC

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