Inchū hassen 飲中八仙

Keywords
Art History
Painting

Ch: Yinzhong baxian. A painting subject based on the poem Yinzhong baxiange (Jp: Inchū hassenka 飲中八仙歌), or Eight Immortals of the Wine Cup by the Tang dynasty poet Du Fu (Jp: *To Ho 杜甫, 712-70). In the text of the verse, Du Fu selects the eight most prominent drinkers among the literary men of his age, and then cleverly praises their prodigious capacities for alcohol and lists their drunken antics. 

The Eight Immortals include: 

  1. He Zhizhang (Jp: Ga Chishō 賀知章, 659-744) who when drunk would ride his horse swaying as if on a boat.
  2. Prince of Ruyang (Jp: Joyō 汝陽) who would drink three dou (Jp: to 斗) of wine and then, when visiting the imperial palace and passing a brewer's court, would make his mouth water.
  3. Li Shizhi (Jp: Ri Tekishi 李適之, ?-747) who was said to drink like a large whale swallowing a hundred rivers.
  4. Cui Songzhi (Jp: Sai Sōji 崔宋之) who, when holding his wine cup aloft and staring at the sky, looked like a beautiful tree blown by the wind.
  5. Su Jin (Jp: So Shin 蘇晋) who would fast before an embroidered cloth hanging of Buddha throughout the year, but when drunk liked the feeling of emptiness in his mind.
  6. Li Bai (Jp: *Ri Haku 李白, 701-62) who after drinking one dou would write one-hundred verses and, although due to his inebriation was unable to accept a court invitation, still called himself an immortal of drinking.
  7. Zhang Xu (Jp: Chō Kyū 張旭) who, after drinking three cups of wine, would take up his brush and declare himself to be a master of the grass script, sōsho 草書 style of calligraphy
  8. Jiao Sui (Jp: Shō Sui 焦遂) who, after drinking five dou and feeling his spirits rise, would surprise listeners with his elegant discourse. 

Japanese paintings on the theme include works by Kaihō Yūshō 海北友松 (1533-1615; Kyoto National Museum) and Ike no Taiga 池大雅 (1723-76).