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Poem Concerning a Wanli Era Imperial Brush
ShitaoChina, Qing Dynasty (1644-1911)
University of Michigan Museum of Art
Ann Arbor, United States
Details
- Title: Poem Concerning a Wanli Era Imperial Brush
- Creator: Shitao (Shih-t'ao)
- Creator Lifespan: 1641 - ca. 1710
- Creator Nationality: Chinese
- Creator Gender: Male
- Creator Death Place: Yangzhou,China
- Creator Birth Place: Guilin, Chna
- Date Created: China, Qing Dynasty (1644-1911)
- Location: China
- Physical Dimensions: w39 x h109.2 (image)
- Label Copy: A descendant of the Ming dynasty imperial family, Shitao was only three or four years old when the Manchus invaded China in 1644. He became a Buddhist monk to avoid persecution. Traveling widely, he associated with literati and became an accomplished theorist, painter and calligrapher. Shitao wrote this poem in running script (xing shu) just two years before his death. The poem is an expression of deep gratitude toward a Buddhist abbot who had presented him with a valuable old brush with a porcelain handle. This extraordinary work is one of the few surviving examples of Shitao's calligraphy in the hanging scroll format. The text of Shitao's calligraphy may be loosely rendered as: This "Easing-heat" brush with a porcelain handle originated in the Wanli era (1573 - 1620). It experienced many profound affinities when wielded by the [imperial] forearm. [My] dream of nationhood has dissolved away, [yet I still] cherish the ashes of my hometown. Profoundly moved and beyond speech, [I] hesitate and ponder over every word [I inscribe]. In the early summer of 1705, [I felt] grateful to the venerable Master Juegong, who bestowed upon me a brush belonging to my late ancestor Emperor Shenzong. Examining it over and over, I could not bear to let it leave my hands. So I executed this calligraphy [for the master] with utmost appreciation. Signature and four seals of the artist
- Type: Painting
- External Link: http://quod.lib.umich.edu/m/musart/x-1965-sl-2.75/1965_2.75.JPG?lasttype=boolean;lastview=thumbnail;resnum=1;sel9=ic_exact;size=20;sort=relevance;start=1;subview=detail;view=entry;rgn1=musart_an;select1=starts;q1=1965%2F2.75
- Medium: hanging scroll, ink on paper
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