Calligraphy Couplet

19th century

Not on view

The poetic couplet on this pair of tapestries is woven to represent calligraphy written in clerical script. The background imitates spotted bamboo, which was highly regarded in China because the spots on the stalks were understood to represent the tears of two empresses after the death of the legendary ruler Shun. The signature indicates that the original calligraphy is the work of Aisin Gioro Songfu (act. early 19th century), a member of the imperial family who was Minister of the Justice from 1825 to 1826. The couplet conflates two different poems by the famous Song dynasty poet Su Shi (1037–1101):

Clear spirit and cool mind keep one from
the mundane
Good harvest and social harmony create ease.

Artwork Details

Overview

Signatures, Inscriptions, and Markings

Provenance

Exhibition History

清緙絲隸書聯
Title: Calligraphy Couplet
Calligrapher: Lianfang Songfou (Chinese)
Period: Qing dynasty (1644–1911)
Date: 19th century
Culture: China
Medium: Silk tapestry (kesi)
Dimensions: Overall (a): 67 1/2 x 14 3/4 in. (171.5 x 37.5 cm)
Overall (b): 67 1/2 x 14 3/4 in. (171.5 x 37.5 cm)
Classification: Textiles-Tapestries
Credit Line: John Stewart Kennedy Fund, 1913
Object Number: 13.220.84a, b
Curatorial Department: Asian Art

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