Couplet in Seal Script

Object Details

• Artist

  Qian Shoutie (1896-1967)

• Label

  Horse and rider amble through the shade of ancient willows,

  Somewhere deep among the lovely flowers, birds are singing.

  Translation by Stephen D. Allee

  Qian Shoutie, also known by his given name, Ya, was a painter, calligrapher, and seal carver. Both before and after World War II, he was primarily active in the city of Shanghai, the cultural center of twentieth-century China. Qian's interest in various types of ancient Chinese script is evident in many of his seal carvings and works of calligraphy, such as this one, in which he has used a style of archaic seal script to render a simple poetic couplet.

• Collection

  Freer Gallery of Art Collection

• Exhibition History

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

  1950s, 1970s

• Name

  Qian, Shoutie

• Place

  China

• Topic

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

• Culture

  Chinese

• Object Type

  Calligraphy (visual works)