南宋 孝宗 行楷書池上水邊聯句 團扇|Couplet on pond scenery

Emperor Xiaozong

ca. 12th century · Fan mounted as an album leaf; ink on silk · Asian Art

The individual brush mannerisms of this couplet, though stylistically related to the calligraphy of Emperor Gaozong (1107–1187), to whom it has traditionally been attributed, compare most closely with those found in Eulogy on Calligraphy by Gaozong's son, Xiaozong. This attribution is supported by the fan's three-character dedication to [Zhao] Zhizhong, a eunuch in Xiaozong's service. The imperial seal impressed over the dedication that reads "Treasure of imperial writing," as well as the unequal spacing between characters in the right-hand line, a feature that reveals a degree of spontaneity in execution unlikely from a scribe, further corroborate the conclusion that this piece is from the emperor's own hand. The couplet describes the stillness of a pond at evening: Above the pond, a thin mist envelops the emerald green; At water's edge, the late sun plays with dragonflies.

Artist

Emperor Xiaozong

Date

ca. 12th century

Medium

Fan mounted as an album leaf; ink on silk

Culture

China

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Bequest of John M. Crawford Jr., 1988