Calligraphy couplet in Seal Script

Object Details

• Artist

  Zhang Sirui (active early 20th century)

• Label

  Have Xie Yuan teach literature, Lei Cizong teach

  Confucianism, and He Shangzhi teach metaphysics;

  Listen to Liu Xian lecture on ritual propriety,

  Gu Ce lecture on the Book of Changes, and Zhu

  Guangzhi lecture on Daoism.

  Translation by Stephen D. Allee

  Zhang Sirui constructed this couplet from two different passages in the official History of the Southern Dynasties, which covers the period from 420 to 589. He adapted the text on the right scroll from passages in the Annals of the Liu-Song Dynasty concerning imperially sponsored schools under Emperor Wen (reigned 424-453 C.E.), and directly quoted the text on the left scroll from a passage that recounts the educational pastimes of Xiao Ying, Prince of Linchuan (458-489 c.e.). Each of the six men named in the couplet was a leading figure in his respective discipline.

  Using a powerful, squarish form of ancient seal script, the calligrapher Zhang Sirui successfully achieved an illusion of vertical mass and solidity that resembles two intricately carved columns. He then created a kind of pedestal at the bottom of each column by using a strongly contrasting form of standard script to record the source of the quotations (right scroll) and his signature (left scroll).

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Exhibition History

  Year of the Horse: Chinese Horse Paintings (February 24 to September 2, 2002)

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

• Origin

  China

• Credit Line

  Gift of Robert Hatfield Ellsworth in honor of the 75th Anniversary of the Freer Gallery of Art

• Type

  Calligraphy

• Restrictions and Rights

  Usage Conditions Apply

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Keep Exploring

• Related Resources

  collections.si.edu

• Date

  1900s, 1950s

• Name

  Zhang, Sirui

• Place

  China

• Topic

  Art, Couplet, Chinese Art, Robert Hatfield Ellsworth collection, Seal script, Modern period (1912 - present)

• Culture

  Chinese

• Object Type

  Calligraphy (visual works)