Couplet in seal script

Object Details

• Artist

  Wu Dacheng 吳大澂 (1835-1902)

• Description

  Pair of hanging scrolls. The couplet, in seal script, may be rendered as:

  Filial piety and brotherly love cause human auspiciousness,

  Writings and compositions are inborn with nature.

• Signatures

  Wu Dacheng signed his name in regular script: Kezhai Wu Dacheng.

• Marks

  Two of Wu Dacheng's seals are affixed below the signature: Wu Dacheng yin and Kezhai.

• Inscriptions

  厚夫仁兄姻大人鑒正

  孝弟（悌）為人瑞

  文章本天成

  文章本天成

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  Looking Out, Looking In: Art in Late Imperial China (October 14, 2017 - ongoing)

  Ch'ing Dynasty Calligraphy and Painting (August 30, 1985 to January 26, 1986)

• Origin

  China

• Credit Line

  Purchase — Charles Lang Freer Endowment

• Type

  Calligraphy

• On View

  Freer Gallery 13: Looking Out, Looking In: Art in Late Imperial China

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

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

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1900s, 1860s

• Name

  Wu, Dacheng

• Place

  China

• Topic

  Art, Chinese Art, Qing dynasty (1644 - 1911), Seal script

• Culture

  Chinese

• Object Type

  Calligraphy (visual works)

• On View

  Yes