Poem by Wang Jian, in running script

Maker(s)
Artist: Xing Tong (1551-1612)
Historical period(s)
Ming dynasty, late 16th-early 17th century
Medium
Ink on paper
Dimensions
H x W (image): 193 x 62.1 cm (76 x 24 7/16 in)
Geography
China
Credit Line
Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment
Collection
Freer Gallery of Art Collection
Accession Number
F1990.14
On View Location
Currently not on view
Classification(s)
Calligraphy
Type

Hanging scroll

Keywords
China, emperor, Ming dynasty (1368 - 1644), palace, running script
Provenance
Provenance research underway.
Label

This scroll contains the first in a series of one hundred quatrains, titled Palace Poems by the Tang dynasty poet Wang Jian (ca. 751-ca. 830). Taking the emperor in his cosmological role as the Son of Heaven, the poem equates the imperial palace in the capital city of Chang'an (modern Xi'an, Shaanxi Province) with the mythical island of Penglai--home to divinities, immortals, and other supernatural beings--which purportedly rides on the head of a giant turtle in the depths of the Cyan (or Indigo) Sea:

Penglai's central palace presses down the cloudy turtle,
As the crimson sun appears from billows of the Cyan Sea.
When the Five Gates open, we behold far off to the north,
In new drapes of yellow-orange, the emperor's throne on high.

Especially esteemed for his running script, as seen here, the calligrapher Xing Tong is considered one of the leading masters of the late-Ming dynasty (1368-1644). This hanging scroll is his most monumental surviving work.

(Translation by Stephen D. Allee)

Collection Area(s)
Chinese Art
Web Resources
Google Cultural Institute
SI Usage Statement

Usage Conditions Apply

There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page.

The information presented on this website may be revised and updated at any time as ongoing research progresses or as otherwise warranted. Pending any such revisions and updates, information on this site may be incomplete or inaccurate or may contain typographical errors. Neither the Smithsonian nor its regents, officers, employees, or agents make any representations about the accuracy, reliability, completeness, or timeliness of the information on the site. Use this site and the information provided on it subject to your own judgment. The Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery welcome information that would augment or clarify the ownership history of objects in their collections.

citation | Save this image How to download an image | Request Permission | Terms of Use