Lychees

dated 1941

Not on view

The cool graphic beauty of Ding's image and of his Shang oracle-bone script express the pleasure he felt upon receiving lychees from a friend traveling in the south, where the fruit grows.

Shou Xi's poem (on the left) describes how the Tang emperor Xuanzong (r. 712-56) employed the imperial messenger service to bring ripe lychees from Canton to his favorite concubine, Yang Guifei, at the capital, Chang'an (modern Xi'an).

Artwork Details

近代丁輔之荔枝扇面
Title: Lychees
Artist: Ding Fuzhi (Chinese, 1879–1946)
Artist: Shou Xi (Chinese) (poem inscribed on the left)
Date: dated 1941
Culture: China
Medium: Folding fan mounted as an album leaf; ink and color on alum paper
Dimensions: 7 3/4 x 22 in. (19.7 x 55.9 cm)
Classification: Paintings
Credit Line: Gift of Robert Hatfield Ellsworth, in memory of La Ferne Hatfield Ellsworth, 1986
Object Number: 1986.267.255
Curatorial Department: Asian Art

More Artwork

By Ding Fuzhi

In the same medium

From the same time and place

A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.

Dish of Iced Summer Fruit, Ding Fuzhi Chinese, Album leaf; ink and color on paper, China — Dish of Iced Summer Fruit
Ding Fuzhi
dated 1945

Fruit, Ding Fuzhi Chinese, Album leaf; ink and color on paper, China — Fruit
Ding Fuzhi
dated 1945

Stele for the Confucius Temple, Ink on paper, China — Stele for the Confucius Temple
China
Stele: Song dynasty (960–1279), 960–68; rubbing: 20th century

Pine, Yang Yi Chinese, Folding fan mounted as an album leaf; ink and color on alum paper, China — Pine
Yang Yi
dated 1923

Pavilion beside a rock garden and stream, Gu Linshi Chinese, Folding fan mounted as an album leaf; ink and color on alum paper, China — Pavilion beside a rock garden and stream
Gu Linshi
1921

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.