Li Tieguai1300s · Study 1982.29.1

Context from the museum

It is said that Li Tieguai’s ethereal self visited the deified Laozi but when he returned, he found that his own body was burned. He had to inhabit the corpse of a person who used a crutch to walk, and thus gained his name Tieguai—the Iron Crutch. The painting depicts Li Tieguai after he took possession of the body, with the iron staff in his hand. As Li exhales, he blows a small Li Tieguai in the air, showing the immortal’s ability to send his spirit on journeys.

Museum description reproduced from its CC0 open-access record. Read the original catalog entry.

A detail to notice

Li Tieguai is one of the Eight Daoist immortals.

Observation supplied by the Cleveland Museum of Art.

Read the dimensions before the image

The selected image measurement for Li Tieguai is 38.4 cm wide and 100.5 cm high, equivalent to approximately 15.1 × 39.6 inches. Dividing width by height gives a format ratio of 0.38:1. The rectangular bounding area is 0.39 square meters; it describes the measured footprint, not the amount of paint or the monetary value.

On an illustrative 300 cm wall, the recorded width occupies 12.8% of the span before adding a frame. A centered placement leaves approximately 130.8 cm on each side before adding a frame. These are calculations by Physical Art For Crypto using museum measurements. They are not the museum’s display recommendations.

Questions to bring to your own collection

With Li Tieguai in view, identify one feature you can point to, then distinguish what the museum records from your personal response. Keep its medium, Hanging scroll; ink and color on silk, in your notes when comparing contemporary works.

• Which part of this vertical composition catches your eye first?
• Would a 38.4 cm width still suit the space after allowing for furniture and a frame?
• What surface detail would you need to see in person or in a close photograph?