Chinese Ink Painting On Paper, Monk Shih Te Holding His Broom.

The artist depicted the figure standing, leaning on his broom, a blissful and amused expression on his face turned towards the sky. This is probably Shih Te, a mischievous young Chinese monk who, according to legend, lived in the Kwo-Ching-Su temple in China during the Tang period around the 9th century. He is always depicted with a broom because he was employed in the maintenance of the temple. A young adolescent rejected by his village, he had been discovered wandering in the mountains by Feng Kan, the high priest, who had brought him back and housed him at the Kwo-Ching-Su temple. He is almost always accompanied by his friend Han Shan and sometimes by the priest Feng Kan and a Tiger. The terrible and feared animal served as a docile mount for Feng Kan. In Chinese symbolism, Shih Te is particularly concerned with body care. With his friend Han Shan, who cares for the mind, they are very respectful of nature and live in harmony with it, very simply, almost in rags, content with little. The peaceful presence of the tiger confirms this universal harmony with nature. The work is unfortunately not signed and only a specialist could identify the author and the period. The artist went straight to the point, vigorously and without hesitation, his brushstrokes are precise and energetic, revealing confidence and artistic maturity. The painting is done in Indian ink, brushed on centuries-old paper. The work was formerly reinforced with lateral strips of paper; it must have been kept rolled up for a long time, which explains the multiple horizontal slits. Today, it is presented in an old European wooden frame, very simple but beautifully constructed, which can be dated to the end of the 19th century. We have kept this frame. The painting is probably from the Ming period or earlier. Dimensions: painting alone 675x1410mm with side margins 860x1410mm with the old wooden frame: 1060x1600mm.