Chinese Calligraphy
See also : China Chinese art Northern Song Southern Song and Yuan Early Ming Later Ming Buddhism Religious texts Landscape
Chronology : 1000-1300 14th century 15th century 1430-1459 1540-1569 1740-1749 1770-1779
Chronology : 1000-1300 14th century 15th century 1430-1459 1540-1569 1740-1749 1770-1779
1080 Letter to a Friend by Zeng Gong
2016 SOLD for RMB 207M by China Guardian
narrated in 2021
Zeng Gong lived at the height of the Song dynasty. He had received the jinshi, the highest degree of the imperial exams, and had a parallel literary and military career, as it was often the case. He was a historian, geographer, poet and essayist. Without being a professional calligrapher, he was a collector of ancient calligraphy and inscribed tablets.
An autograph letter has survived. 124 characters in regular kaishu script are distributed in thirteen columns in a perfect parallelism and spacing on a 29 x 38 cm sheet. It is precisely dated, corresponding to September 27, 1080 CE. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
In this document titled Jushi Tie (letter on some happenings), Zeng writes to a friend whom he had not seen for three years. He expresses his doubts about his ability to hold a post at the court. This question was on the spot since he will be summoned a month later in the capital Kaifeng to be awarded a promotion by the Shenzong emperor, with the mission of a study on the history of the Five Dynasties.
Jushi Tie was sold for RMB 109M including premium by Poly on November 22, 2009, lot 5126, and for RMB 207M including premium by China Guardian on May 15, 2016, lot 1424.
An autograph letter has survived. 124 characters in regular kaishu script are distributed in thirteen columns in a perfect parallelism and spacing on a 29 x 38 cm sheet. It is precisely dated, corresponding to September 27, 1080 CE. The image is shared by Wikimedia.
In this document titled Jushi Tie (letter on some happenings), Zeng writes to a friend whom he had not seen for three years. He expresses his doubts about his ability to hold a post at the court. This question was on the spot since he will be summoned a month later in the capital Kaifeng to be awarded a promotion by the Shenzong emperor, with the mission of a study on the history of the Five Dynasties.
Jushi Tie was sold for RMB 109M including premium by Poly on November 22, 2009, lot 5126, and for RMB 207M including premium by China Guardian on May 15, 2016, lot 1424.
Northern Song - The Tree of the Calligrapher
2018 SOLD for HK$ 460M including premium
Under the Song, the literati are philosophers and humanists who sometimes have the audacity to oppose imperial politics. Their supreme mode of expression is calligraphy, which conveys to their readers the firmness and rhythm of their thought.
In 1071 CE, Su Shi had been expelled from the capital, starting at the age of 34 a second career as a provincial servant with increasingly mediocre missions despite his immense talent. He died in 1101. His younger friend Mi Fu escaped political persecution by his reputation for eccentricity. They were the two best calligraphers in their lifetime.
A nine-character autograph message on a 28 x 9.5 cm sheet sent by Su Shi to the governor of a locality that he was leaving was sold for $ 8.2M including premium by Sotheby's on September 19, 2013.
Graphic art is exceptional in their works. The movement of the artist's hand is the same as for calligraphy. The rare drawings by Su Shi translate emotions too deep to be expressed in words. Mi Fu will only paint in the last years of his life, mostly after Su Shi's death.
On November 26 in Hong Kong, Christie's sells as lot 8008 a 26 x 50 cm ink on paper painted by Su Shi. This piece is extended by many colophons including an appreciation calligraphed by Mi Fu, and includes many seals. Please watch two videos shared by the auction house.
The image consists of two elements that join together : a leafless tree twisted into several undulations and a bulky rock. The dryness of the tree expresses the desolation of the artist in his exile while at the opposite edge on the left flank of the rock the sparse bamboos bring the hope of a new vitality.
In 1071 CE, Su Shi had been expelled from the capital, starting at the age of 34 a second career as a provincial servant with increasingly mediocre missions despite his immense talent. He died in 1101. His younger friend Mi Fu escaped political persecution by his reputation for eccentricity. They were the two best calligraphers in their lifetime.
A nine-character autograph message on a 28 x 9.5 cm sheet sent by Su Shi to the governor of a locality that he was leaving was sold for $ 8.2M including premium by Sotheby's on September 19, 2013.
Graphic art is exceptional in their works. The movement of the artist's hand is the same as for calligraphy. The rare drawings by Su Shi translate emotions too deep to be expressed in words. Mi Fu will only paint in the last years of his life, mostly after Su Shi's death.
On November 26 in Hong Kong, Christie's sells as lot 8008 a 26 x 50 cm ink on paper painted by Su Shi. This piece is extended by many colophons including an appreciation calligraphed by Mi Fu, and includes many seals. Please watch two videos shared by the auction house.
The image consists of two elements that join together : a leafless tree twisted into several undulations and a bulky rock. The dryness of the tree expresses the desolation of the artist in his exile while at the opposite edge on the left flank of the rock the sparse bamboos bring the hope of a new vitality.
Christie’s Announces 1000-year-old $50m Su Shi Scroll https://t.co/eVdovdYFyr pic.twitter.com/XpeTTOdBby
— Art Market Monitor (@artmarket) August 30, 2018
1095 Ancient Chinese Calligraphy
2010 SOLD 436 M RMB yuan including premium
The East Asian calligraphy can be interpreted as a means of linking poetry to graphic art. In fact, it is a form of art by itself, although not available and rarely commented on the Western market. Come directly to Beijing.
Exactly one year ago, Poly sold a fine collection of Qing calligraphy made in very large letters by the emperors themselves in order to spread moral slogans. Such imperial calligraphy is a very ancient tradition as some writings by the second Tang emperor are known.
A scroll of paper from Song period is for sale at Beijing by Poly International Auction on June 3. 37 cm high with a length exceeding 8 meters, it is completely covered with characters drawn in ink by Huang Tingjian, one of the most famous master calligraphers of his time. It is a fine example of his art consisting of semi-cursive letters in an energetic and accentuated style. Depending on location, this text includes from 4 to 15 characters within the height.
This artwork seems being very well maintained despite its age: Huang died 905 years ago. The online catalog does not provide information on the contents of the text. Unlike most lots of this important sale, the estimate is not published.
POST SALE COMMENT
It is a triumph for culture. It was registered in China on a Chinese piece, by a Chinese auction house: 390 million RMB hammer price, RMB 436 million including premium. The buyer has paid the equivalent of U.S. $ 63.8 million.
After this success, I found some additional information on the lot itself.
Completed around 1095 of our calendar, it contains 600 characters of which some examples are presented in the article shared by China Daily. Titled Di Zhu Ming, it is a copy of a Tang poem.
It was originally a little over 8 meters long, and was enlarged to 15 meters by comments. It includes a small portrait of the calligrapher artist.
Exactly one year ago, Poly sold a fine collection of Qing calligraphy made in very large letters by the emperors themselves in order to spread moral slogans. Such imperial calligraphy is a very ancient tradition as some writings by the second Tang emperor are known.
A scroll of paper from Song period is for sale at Beijing by Poly International Auction on June 3. 37 cm high with a length exceeding 8 meters, it is completely covered with characters drawn in ink by Huang Tingjian, one of the most famous master calligraphers of his time. It is a fine example of his art consisting of semi-cursive letters in an energetic and accentuated style. Depending on location, this text includes from 4 to 15 characters within the height.
This artwork seems being very well maintained despite its age: Huang died 905 years ago. The online catalog does not provide information on the contents of the text. Unlike most lots of this important sale, the estimate is not published.
POST SALE COMMENT
It is a triumph for culture. It was registered in China on a Chinese piece, by a Chinese auction house: 390 million RMB hammer price, RMB 436 million including premium. The buyer has paid the equivalent of U.S. $ 63.8 million.
After this success, I found some additional information on the lot itself.
Completed around 1095 of our calendar, it contains 600 characters of which some examples are presented in the article shared by China Daily. Titled Di Zhu Ming, it is a copy of a Tang poem.
It was originally a little over 8 meters long, and was enlarged to 15 meters by comments. It includes a small portrait of the calligrapher artist.
900 years ago Letter to a Friend by Zhu Dunru
2020 SOLD for RMB 150M including premium by China Guardian
narrated in 2021
A military officer and a poet, Zhu Dunru did not take part in the events of the fall of the Northern Song in 1127 CE but became provincial secretary in Shaoxing for the Southern Song and in 1135 CE followed the training for the jinshi, the highest degree of the imperial examinations. He died in 1159 CE, aged 78.
Zhu Dunru's known literary activity consists only of singing poems, a form that had previously been practiced by Su Shi, the most outstanding Song poet.
An autograph letter by Zhu Dunru was sold for RMB 150M including premium by China Guardian on December 1, 2020, lot 279. The image is shared by China Daily in their review of the top results for Chinese art in 2020 auctions.
This letter to a friend in running and cursive script calligraphy on paper 35 x 46 cm is titled Kui Suo Tie, meaning "It has been a long time since I saw you". By its size and the number of its words spread over twelve columns, it is the most important of the four surviving autograph documents by this poet.
Zhu Dunru's known literary activity consists only of singing poems, a form that had previously been practiced by Su Shi, the most outstanding Song poet.
An autograph letter by Zhu Dunru was sold for RMB 150M including premium by China Guardian on December 1, 2020, lot 279. The image is shared by China Daily in their review of the top results for Chinese art in 2020 auctions.
This letter to a friend in running and cursive script calligraphy on paper 35 x 46 cm is titled Kui Suo Tie, meaning "It has been a long time since I saw you". By its size and the number of its words spread over twelve columns, it is the most important of the four surviving autograph documents by this poet.
< Yuan - The Master of Chinese Calligraphy
2010 SOLD 308 M RMB yuan including premium
China Guardian prepares the sales of 20 to 23 November, to be held in Beijing. The auction house devotes a whole release to a Chinese treasure.
This is a poem by Wang Xizhi, on the theme of a security wish. This sheet has been separated into two pieces in ancient times, and the part presented for sale contains 4 lines on a surface of 24.7 x 13.9 cm.
Wang lived 1,650 years ago, under the Jin dynasty. He is considered as the leading innovator of calligraphy, because he departed from existing models to change calligraphy into an art.
The Chinese emperors ever attached a high importance to calligraphy. I do not know whether the specimen for sale is actually an autograph, but it is not later than the Song and its cursive script is much in the style of Wang.
The auction house checked its provenance up to the time of the Yuan, who preceded the Ming. Later, under the Qing dynasty, Qianlong inscribed this manuscript twice. He considered it as important, same as a script by the same author on the subject of the sunshine after heavy snow that was in the Imperial Collection.
POST SALE COMMENT
This piece of calligraphy has reached a very high price consistent with its prestige: 308 million yuan. The estimate, which was not published, appears to have been much lower since the bidding was started at 55 million yuan. This result just below the price of the Song calligraphy sold by Poly in June (390 million yuan excluding fees) is logical, however.
The prices published by this auction house in their list of results include premium. The result released by the press at 308 million yuan includes premium.
308 million yuan are worth U.S. $ 46.4 M.
This is a poem by Wang Xizhi, on the theme of a security wish. This sheet has been separated into two pieces in ancient times, and the part presented for sale contains 4 lines on a surface of 24.7 x 13.9 cm.
Wang lived 1,650 years ago, under the Jin dynasty. He is considered as the leading innovator of calligraphy, because he departed from existing models to change calligraphy into an art.
The Chinese emperors ever attached a high importance to calligraphy. I do not know whether the specimen for sale is actually an autograph, but it is not later than the Song and its cursive script is much in the style of Wang.
The auction house checked its provenance up to the time of the Yuan, who preceded the Ming. Later, under the Qing dynasty, Qianlong inscribed this manuscript twice. He considered it as important, same as a script by the same author on the subject of the sunshine after heavy snow that was in the Imperial Collection.
POST SALE COMMENT
This piece of calligraphy has reached a very high price consistent with its prestige: 308 million yuan. The estimate, which was not published, appears to have been much lower since the bidding was started at 55 million yuan. This result just below the price of the Song calligraphy sold by Poly in June (390 million yuan excluding fees) is logical, however.
The prices published by this auction house in their list of results include premium. The result released by the press at 308 million yuan includes premium.
308 million yuan are worth U.S. $ 46.4 M.
Yuan Dynasty - Letters by Zhao Mengfu
2019 SOLD for RMB 270M including premium by China Guardian
narrated in 2020
Zhao Mengfu was the best artist and calligrapher in the transition period between the Southern Song and the Yuan. This literati belonged to the imperial Song family and his allegiance to the Yuan was severely criticized by his relatives.
In terms of calligraphy, his writing gradually evolves to take example from the two very great masters of the Jin era, Wang Xizhi and Wang Xianzhi, who had established the perfect synthesis of the various styles 950 years earlier. Zhao's writing is considered one of the best models of regular script.
On November 19, 2019, China Guardian sold a lot of two autograph letters by Zhao for RMB 270M including premium. This set is illustrated in the press release shared after the sale by the auction house.
In one of the two letters, Zhao acknowledges the ambivalence of his political position and the embarrassment it arouses among his friends. Of course, he shows himself in his best light and considers that his attitude is courageous. He seems to have really wanted to reconcile the interests of the fallen Song and of their Mongol successors. This letter has for terminus post quem the political conversion of Zhao, around 1290 CE, and for terminus ante quem his death in 1322.
The second letter of this lot describes his support and sympathy for his friends in that time of economic difficulty and his feeling of loneliness during his stay in the capital city.
One of Zhao's main occupations was the calligraphic copy of the Buddhist scriptures. A Heart Sutra was sold for RMB 190M including premium by Poly on December 17, 2017. The five 29 x 12 cm pages of this album are illustrated in the post-sale press release shared by The Value.
In terms of calligraphy, his writing gradually evolves to take example from the two very great masters of the Jin era, Wang Xizhi and Wang Xianzhi, who had established the perfect synthesis of the various styles 950 years earlier. Zhao's writing is considered one of the best models of regular script.
On November 19, 2019, China Guardian sold a lot of two autograph letters by Zhao for RMB 270M including premium. This set is illustrated in the press release shared after the sale by the auction house.
In one of the two letters, Zhao acknowledges the ambivalence of his political position and the embarrassment it arouses among his friends. Of course, he shows himself in his best light and considers that his attitude is courageous. He seems to have really wanted to reconcile the interests of the fallen Song and of their Mongol successors. This letter has for terminus post quem the political conversion of Zhao, around 1290 CE, and for terminus ante quem his death in 1322.
The second letter of this lot describes his support and sympathy for his friends in that time of economic difficulty and his feeling of loneliness during his stay in the capital city.
One of Zhao's main occupations was the calligraphic copy of the Buddhist scriptures. A Heart Sutra was sold for RMB 190M including premium by Poly on December 17, 2017. The five 29 x 12 cm pages of this album are illustrated in the post-sale press release shared by The Value.
Yuan Dynasty - Heart Sutra by Zhao Mengfu
2017 SOLD for RMB 190M including premium by Poly
narrated in 2020
The greatest masters of calligraphy pass on their knowledge to the literati. Under the Jin in the 4th century CE, Wang Xizhi achieves the supreme elegance with cursive calligraphy, to which his son Wang Xianzhi brings fluidity by writing each character in a single brush stroke.
Active after the fall of the Song in 1279 CE, Zhao Mengfu is a prince-artist who belongs to the fallen dynasty. Poet, jurist, painter and calligrapher, he combines the strict clarity of regular calligraphy with the expressiveness of semi-cursive calligraphy. Despite the ambiguity of his political engagement under the Yuan, his calligraphy has always been considered exemplary. Zhao is one of the greatest calligraphers of all time.
Zhao is a Buddhist. The Heart Sutra is perfect for serving as a model for two reasons. It is the shortest of the Sutras and its most classic version fits in five or six sheets. It is especially appreciated in China because its oldest known version is in Chinese language.
Several pieces calligraphed by Zhao are known. After a long career, he dies in 1322 CE at the age of 68, and these works cannot be dated with precision. An ancient legend shows the artist copying a Heart Sutra to exchange it with a monk for tea.
A Heart Sutra by Zhao Mengfu was sold for RMB 190M including premium by Poly on December 17, 2017, lot 3535. This piece is a five-sheet 28.6 x 12 cm album, with no drawing added. The five sheets are illustrated twice in the post-sale article by The Value.
Active after the fall of the Song in 1279 CE, Zhao Mengfu is a prince-artist who belongs to the fallen dynasty. Poet, jurist, painter and calligrapher, he combines the strict clarity of regular calligraphy with the expressiveness of semi-cursive calligraphy. Despite the ambiguity of his political engagement under the Yuan, his calligraphy has always been considered exemplary. Zhao is one of the greatest calligraphers of all time.
Zhao is a Buddhist. The Heart Sutra is perfect for serving as a model for two reasons. It is the shortest of the Sutras and its most classic version fits in five or six sheets. It is especially appreciated in China because its oldest known version is in Chinese language.
Several pieces calligraphed by Zhao are known. After a long career, he dies in 1322 CE at the age of 68, and these works cannot be dated with precision. An ancient legend shows the artist copying a Heart Sutra to exchange it with a monk for tea.
A Heart Sutra by Zhao Mengfu was sold for RMB 190M including premium by Poly on December 17, 2017, lot 3535. This piece is a five-sheet 28.6 x 12 cm album, with no drawing added. The five sheets are illustrated twice in the post-sale article by The Value.
1430 Imperial Wisdom
2018 SOLD for HK$ 240M including premium
The calligraphy of the Sutras of Mahayana Buddhism is an act of piety welcomed for education and enlightenment. When the patron or the user is an emperor, the manuscript reaches a luxury unmatched in its class.
A gold ink on dark blue paper is sumptuous. A Lotus Sutra handwritten in 1345 CE for the education of a child emperor of Korea was sold for HK $ 31.6M including premium by Sotheby's on May 30, 2016. The lot consisted of seven big albums.
Buddhism is essential for the consolidation of the Ming dynasty. After the death of the warrior emperor Yongle, his Buddhist advisers organize a period of peace. The very short reign of the Hongxi emperor initiates the necessary reforms. His son the Xuande emperor can satisfy his artistic talents and grant to Buddhism a preference devoid from political intents.
During the fifth year of his reign, 1430 CE, Xuande commissioned an Elder of the State named Huijin to calligraphy four great Sutras. The paper is covered with dark indigo ink mixed with goat brain. This thick, brilliant and strong layer allows the gold to stay on the surface without diffusing into the paper fibers. This biological constituent is an emulsifier similar to egg white in the tempera paint.
All the four Sutras are realized. Two are kept at the National Palace Museum in Taipei. The third was probably early lost in a fire after being presented to a monastery founded with Xuande's sponsorship.
Two cases containing five consecutive albums each from the Sutra of transcendent wisdom or prajnaparamita have survived. In addition to the calligraphy, the work includes illustrations in thin gold lines of Buddhist, imperial and esoteric figures including Buddhas, dragons and demons. This set will be sold by Sotheby's in Hong Kong on April 3, lot 101. The rest of this very long Sutra is lost.
Please watch the video shared by Sotheby's.
A gold ink on dark blue paper is sumptuous. A Lotus Sutra handwritten in 1345 CE for the education of a child emperor of Korea was sold for HK $ 31.6M including premium by Sotheby's on May 30, 2016. The lot consisted of seven big albums.
Buddhism is essential for the consolidation of the Ming dynasty. After the death of the warrior emperor Yongle, his Buddhist advisers organize a period of peace. The very short reign of the Hongxi emperor initiates the necessary reforms. His son the Xuande emperor can satisfy his artistic talents and grant to Buddhism a preference devoid from political intents.
During the fifth year of his reign, 1430 CE, Xuande commissioned an Elder of the State named Huijin to calligraphy four great Sutras. The paper is covered with dark indigo ink mixed with goat brain. This thick, brilliant and strong layer allows the gold to stay on the surface without diffusing into the paper fibers. This biological constituent is an emulsifier similar to egg white in the tempera paint.
All the four Sutras are realized. Two are kept at the National Palace Museum in Taipei. The third was probably early lost in a fire after being presented to a monastery founded with Xuande's sponsorship.
Two cases containing five consecutive albums each from the Sutra of transcendent wisdom or prajnaparamita have survived. In addition to the calligraphy, the work includes illustrations in thin gold lines of Buddhist, imperial and esoteric figures including Buddhas, dragons and demons. This set will be sold by Sotheby's in Hong Kong on April 3, lot 101. The rest of this very long Sutra is lost.
Please watch the video shared by Sotheby's.
1562-1567 Two volumes from the Yongle Dadian
2020 SOLD for € 8.1M including premium by Beaussant Lefèvre
narrated post sale in 2020
The Yongle emperor of the Ming was extremely active from his raise to power, particularly in matters of diplomacy and religion. In 1404 CE he commissioned the compilation of all knowledge. More than 2,000 scholars travel the whole China to find the sources.
The job is completed in just five years. The set includes nearly 23,000 scrolls placed in 11,000 volumes, occupying approximately 30 cubic meters. The number of Chinese characters is estimated at 370 million, corresponding to approximately 250 million words in Latin script. Satisfied with his participation to preserve culture, the emperor attributes to this compilation his own reign name : the Great Canon of Yongle, or Yongle Dadian.
The Yongle Dadian is too huge to consider an edition. In 1557, this still unique set barely escapes a fire that destroys three palaces in the Forbidden City. The Jiajing emperor, aware of the risk of losing this invaluable cultural treasure, orders to take a copy, in the form of 50 x 30 cm albums matching the original volumes and chapters. This work is carried out from 1562 to 1567 CE.
No one will ever hear of the original scrolls again. The copy existed until the Opium Wars. It suffered fires and depredations, and only 400 albums survive, which are 3.5% of the original set.
A lot made of two volumes was sold for € 8.1M including premium by Beaussant Lefèvre at Drouot on July 7, 2020. The respective themes are the geography of the lakes of China and a description of funeral rites. Wear, stains and accidents were announced in the catalog.
The job is completed in just five years. The set includes nearly 23,000 scrolls placed in 11,000 volumes, occupying approximately 30 cubic meters. The number of Chinese characters is estimated at 370 million, corresponding to approximately 250 million words in Latin script. Satisfied with his participation to preserve culture, the emperor attributes to this compilation his own reign name : the Great Canon of Yongle, or Yongle Dadian.
The Yongle Dadian is too huge to consider an edition. In 1557, this still unique set barely escapes a fire that destroys three palaces in the Forbidden City. The Jiajing emperor, aware of the risk of losing this invaluable cultural treasure, orders to take a copy, in the form of 50 x 30 cm albums matching the original volumes and chapters. This work is carried out from 1562 to 1567 CE.
No one will ever hear of the original scrolls again. The copy existed until the Opium Wars. It suffered fires and depredations, and only 400 albums survive, which are 3.5% of the original set.
A lot made of two volumes was sold for € 8.1M including premium by Beaussant Lefèvre at Drouot on July 7, 2020. The respective themes are the geography of the lakes of China and a description of funeral rites. Wear, stains and accidents were announced in the catalog.
8 128 000€ frais compris pour les deux rares albums Yongle Dadian dédié à la géographie des lacs de la Chine et aux rites funéraires. @Drouot pic.twitter.com/yjyUvWWXlf
— BEAUSSANT LEFEVRE (@BeaussantL) July 7, 2020
< 1745 The Poem of the Ten Stones
2010 SOLD for HK$ 90M including premium by Sotheby's (probably unpaid)
2012 SOLD for HK$ 70 M including premium
In China, the best literary and artistic works transcend time. The emperors themselves have contributed over the centuries to transmit and highlight the most outstanding of them.
A scroll of Qianlong period, for sale by Sotheby's in Hong Kong on October 9, finds its cultural roots in the deepest ages.
The Shaanxi province is considered as one of the cradles of Chinese culture. About 2500 years ago, Qin scribes have engraved in granite short poems on the themes of fishing, hunting and war.
The discovery during the Tang dynasty, 1200 years ago, of a group of ten drum-shaped carved poem-sculptures created an intense cultural emotion, an evidence of the importance that the Chinese already granted to their past. Even more amazing: the Chinese science was already the subject of publications. The Confucian philosopher Han Yu is one of those who wrote texts in tribute to the ten stones, the Shigu ge.
Now jump nine centuries. Zhang Zhao is a poor minister but a recognized scholar and Qianlong, rather than having him executed after a failed mission, sends him back to his beloved studies. This is probably after this incident that he copied the Shigu ge of Han Yu.
Zhang died suddenly during the tenth year of the reign of Qianlong. The Emperor continued to admire above all the cursive calligraphy of Zhang.
During the gengxu year, the 55th of his reign, 1790 of our calendar, Qianlong ordered to preserve the text of the ten stones threatened by abrasion and renewed his interest in the Shigu ge of Zhang. He added a preface and inked the mark of 33 imperial seals attesting to all the reasons of his admiration for this scroll.
The Shigu ge is 55 cm high and 7.90 m long, extended by the frontispiece of the emperor, 46 x 103 cm. This scroll is estimated HK $ 50M, lot 3007.
LATER COMMENT
This piece had been previously sold in the same auction room on October 7, 2010 for HK$ 90M including premium from a lower estimate of HK$ 15M, lot 2104. The provenance in the 2012 catalogue does not refer to the 2010 sale. I guess that it had been unpaid in 2010.
A scroll of Qianlong period, for sale by Sotheby's in Hong Kong on October 9, finds its cultural roots in the deepest ages.
The Shaanxi province is considered as one of the cradles of Chinese culture. About 2500 years ago, Qin scribes have engraved in granite short poems on the themes of fishing, hunting and war.
The discovery during the Tang dynasty, 1200 years ago, of a group of ten drum-shaped carved poem-sculptures created an intense cultural emotion, an evidence of the importance that the Chinese already granted to their past. Even more amazing: the Chinese science was already the subject of publications. The Confucian philosopher Han Yu is one of those who wrote texts in tribute to the ten stones, the Shigu ge.
Now jump nine centuries. Zhang Zhao is a poor minister but a recognized scholar and Qianlong, rather than having him executed after a failed mission, sends him back to his beloved studies. This is probably after this incident that he copied the Shigu ge of Han Yu.
Zhang died suddenly during the tenth year of the reign of Qianlong. The Emperor continued to admire above all the cursive calligraphy of Zhang.
During the gengxu year, the 55th of his reign, 1790 of our calendar, Qianlong ordered to preserve the text of the ten stones threatened by abrasion and renewed his interest in the Shigu ge of Zhang. He added a preface and inked the mark of 33 imperial seals attesting to all the reasons of his admiration for this scroll.
The Shigu ge is 55 cm high and 7.90 m long, extended by the frontispiece of the emperor, 46 x 103 cm. This scroll is estimated HK $ 50M, lot 3007.
LATER COMMENT
This piece had been previously sold in the same auction room on October 7, 2010 for HK$ 90M including premium from a lower estimate of HK$ 15M, lot 2104. The provenance in the 2012 catalogue does not refer to the 2010 sale. I guess that it had been unpaid in 2010.
1773 Poem of the White Baita by Qianlong
2014 SOLD for RMB 116M including premium by Poly
narrated in 2021
On the sacred hill in the center of an imperial garden whose creation dates back to the founding of Beijing, the Shunzhi emperor has erected in 1651 CE, seventh year of the Qing dynasty, a stupa nearly 40 meters high for the purpose to please Buddhists. The monument, named baita in pinyin, is dazzling white, like a small Taj Mahal.
In 1773 CE the Qianlong emperor, great-grandson and third successor of Shunzhi, climbs the enchanted hill. As in all circumstances, he records his feelings. The poem is composed of five parts : a general description and an observed view from each of the four cardinal points.
The autograph scrolls calligraphed by the emperor are 27 cm high and 80 to 118 cm long. Each scroll is divided into two parts, the poem in tight pictograms on the left and four full-height characters on the right for the title. Several imperial seals have been printed, including the Qianlong Chen Han ("written by the emperor's brush") and the Tai Shang Huang Di.
The eastern scroll is not located. The other four were re-united and were sold together for RMB 116M including premium by Poly on December 2, 2014, lot 3030. The image is shared by China Daily in the post sale report.
In 1773 CE the Qianlong emperor, great-grandson and third successor of Shunzhi, climbs the enchanted hill. As in all circumstances, he records his feelings. The poem is composed of five parts : a general description and an observed view from each of the four cardinal points.
The autograph scrolls calligraphed by the emperor are 27 cm high and 80 to 118 cm long. Each scroll is divided into two parts, the poem in tight pictograms on the left and four full-height characters on the right for the title. Several imperial seals have been printed, including the Qianlong Chen Han ("written by the emperor's brush") and the Tai Shang Huang Di.
The eastern scroll is not located. The other four were re-united and were sold together for RMB 116M including premium by Poly on December 2, 2014, lot 3030. The image is shared by China Daily in the post sale report.
