Untitled

Jin Xiya

1923 · Bamboo carved in relief · Asian Art

This wrist rest is a fine example of bamboo carving by Jin Xiya (1890–1979), the finest bamboo artist active in twentieth-century China. It showcases Jin’s virtuosic command of traditional bamboo carving. Here, Jin has left the calligraphy and painting in relief, using the “green skin” (liuqing) technique of leaving the smooth outer skin (since turned yellow) to stand forth against the darker ground. His works incorporate compositions from designs contributed by his contemporary artists, such as the landscape after Zhao Mengfu (1254–1322) by Zhou Qiaonian (1873–?), a late Qing-dynasty court painter, on this piece. According to the archival list of Jin’s works (wrist rest #14), the bamboo carving was completed on July 12, 1923.

Artist

Jin Xiya

Date

1923

Medium

Bamboo carved in relief

Culture

China

Department

Asian Art

Credit line

Florence and Herbert Irving Acquisitions Fund for Asian Art, 2020