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The Double Screen: Emperor Li Jing Watching his Brothers Play Weiqi 重屏圖

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At A Glance

Period

14th century
Geography

China
Material

Ink and color on silk
Dimension

H x W (image): 31.3 x 50 cm (12 5/16 x 19 11/16 in)
Accession Number

F1911.195
EDAN ID

edanmdm:fsg_F1911.195

Object Details

Artist

Formerly attributed to Zhou Wenju (傳)周文矩 (active mid-10th century)
Label

Li Jing, identified by his tall hat, watches two of his brothers play weiqi, while a third looks on. The board, raised on low feet, has a grid of nineteen-by-nineteen lines, the format introduced during the Tang period (618-907). Apparently the game has not progressed very far, since few pieces are visible on the board. The player on the left is about to place his piece, while the player on the right reaches with his right hand for a piece in his container, in anticipation of his move.

On the table behind the emperor are a vase and arrows for touhu (Chinese pitchpot), an arrow-throwing game popular from ancient times.

To learn more about this and similar objects, visit http://www.asia.si.edu/SongYuan/default.asp Song and Yuan Dynasty Painting and Calligraphy.
Provenance

To 1911

Loon Gu-sai, Beijing, to 1911 [1]

From 1911 to 1919

Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Loon Gu-sai in 1911 [2]

From 1920

Freer Gallery of Art, gift of Charles Lang Freer in 1920 [3]

Notes:

[1] See Original Kakemono and Makimono List, L. 733, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. According to Ingrid Larsen, "'Don’t Send Ming or Later Pictures': Charles Lang Freer and the First Major Collection of Chinese Painting in an American Museum," Ars Orientalis vol. 40 (2011), Loon Gu Sai was possibly Lunguzhai, a store in the antiques district of Liulichang.

This object exhibits seals, colophons, or inscriptions that could provide additional information regarding the object’s history; see Curatorial Remarks in the object record for further details.

[2] See note 1.

[3] The original deed of Charles Lang Freer's gift was signed in 1906. The collection was received in 1920 upon the completion of the Freer Gallery.
Collection

Freer Gallery of Art Collection
Exhibition History

Setting the Bar: Arts of the Song dynasty (October 14, 2017 - ongoing)

Asian Games: The Art of Contest (February 26 to 15 May 2005)

Chinese Figure Painting (September 17, 1973 to January 3, 1975)

Chinese Art (January 1, 1963 to March 6, 1981)

Chinese Paintings (June 5, 1957 to January 1, 1963)
Previous custodian or owner

Loon Gu Sai (C.L. Freer source)

Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919)
Origin

China
Credit Line

Gift of Charles Lang Freer
Type

Painting
Restrictions and Rights

CC0 - Creative Commons (CC0 1.0)

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