A Branch of Bamboo 墨竹圖

Object Details

• Artist

  Ni Zan 倪瓚 (1306-1374)

• Calligrapher

  Inscription by Qian Weishan (1341-ca. 1379)

• Label

  Ni Zan was one of the most influential artists of the Yuan dynasty (1279-1368). Known primarily for his landscapes, he was also an important painter of bamboo. This album leaf, signed by the artist at lower right, is a typical example of Ni's quick, spare style and illustrates the compositional structure he often favored for this subject: one or two branches silhouetted against a plain background. Ni Zan probably painted this leaf toward the end of his life, during the early years of the Ming dynasty (1368-1644), when his eyesight was failing and the crisp brushwork of his youth had begun to diminish. A few years later, the poet Qian Weishan (active 1341-ca. 1379) added a few brief lines at upper left to honor his then-deceased friend:

  My old friend knew how to sketch bamboo,

  And patterned his approach upon Wen Tong.

  Calmly he looked out the western window,

  And the cool wind filled his page with fall.

  (Translation by Stephen D. Allee)

  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 1915

  Tonying and Company, New York to 1915 [1]

  From 1915 to 1919

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919), purchased from Tonying and Company, New York in 1915 [2]

  From 1920

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

  Notes:

  [1] See Original Album List, pg. 48, Freer Gallery of Art and Arthur M. Sackler Gallery Archives. By at least 1917, Tonying and Company maintained business locations in Shanghai, Beijing, Paris, London, and New York, NY.

  [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

  Masterpieces of Chinese Painting (IV) (June 12 to November 28, 2010)

  Three Friends of Winter: Pine, Bamboo, and Plum in Chinese Painting (August 12, 2001 to February 3, 2002)

  Chinese Album Leaves (December 17, 1962 to April 8, 1963)

• Previous custodian or owner

  Tonying and Company 通運公司 (established 1902) (C.L. Freer source)

  Charles Lang Freer (1854-1919)

• Origin

  China

• Credit Line

  Gift of Charles Lang Freer

• Type

  Painting

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1300s

• Name

  Freer, Charles Lang, Tonying and Company

• Place

  China

• Topic

  Charles Lang Freer collection, Art, Chinese Art, Yuan dynasty (1279 - 1368), Ming dynasty (1368 - 1644), Bamboo

• Culture

  Chinese

• Object Type

  Paintings