Zhi and Xu's Pure Conversation Pillow

This painting by the professional Hangzhou artist Lan Ying depicts two revered sages of China's Six Dynasties period in quiet dialogue: the Buddhist monk Zhidun and the Daoist priest Xu Xun. Lan Ying, later regarded as the last major representative of the Zhe school of painting, created the work as a gift for his friend, the Chan monk Wuyun, using the pairing of these two historical figures as an allegory for their own friendship across religious traditions. Painted just a year before the fall of the Ming dynasty, the work also reads as a wistful retreat into an idealized, harmonious past.

Jacquard-woven both sides in soft, durable yarn; insert included.