18TH CENTURY

The depiction of the three rams and a lone figure on the front side of this boulder is somewhat unusual. Subjects such as a scholar with attendant, or a lone arhat in a grotto, are more commonly seen. The ram is a symbol of filial piety, kindness and patience. The three rams, sanyang, are also an auspicious motif, related both to the sun and to male children, as they provide a rebus for sanyang kaitai, the opening up of the new growth in spring, referenced here by the prunus branch held by the figure and the prunus tree under which he sits, which in turn symbolize happiness and good fortune. The deer and pine tree on the reverse tie in an additional theme of longevity.