This album consists of painting and calligraphy made for Sun Zhiru (active mid-seventeenth century), a scholar-official from Suzhou who went by the nickname Maoshu. Sun was one of the last to receive an imperial degree under the Ming dynasty; one year after he passed the examinations, in 1643, the Ming fell. Refusing to serve the newly established Qing, he retired to Suzhou and supported himself as a teacher. Albums like this one, which bring together works made by disparate artists for a single recipient, may be seen as a kind of virtual elegant gathering—a manner of connecting across separations of time and space.
On view January 31–August 14, 2022
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An ink play for the elder Yizhai in the mid-autumn of the bingwu year. [Signed] Wu Zhengzhi. [Seal]: Geng’an
丙午中秋為毅齋老年翁墨戲。吳正治 [印]：賡庵
Leaf BB
Li Yao 李燿 (unidentified), 11 columns in standard script, dated 1673 (?); 3 seals:
To the left planting her colored pennants, to the right spreading the shade of cassia flags, she dips pale wrists into the holy river's brink, plucks dark iris from the rippling shallows. My fancy is charmed by her modest beauty, but my heart, uneasy, stirs with distress: without a skilled go-between to join us in bliss, I must trust these little waves to bear my message. Desiring that my sincerity first of all be known, I undo a girdle-jade to offer as pledge. Ah, the pure trust of that lovely lady, trained in ritual, acquainted with the Songs; She holds up a garnet stone to match my gift, pointing down into the depths to show where we should meet. Clinging to a lover’s passionate faith, yet I fear that this spirit may deceive me; warned by tales of how Jiaofu was abandoned, I pause, uncertain and despairing; then, stilling such thoughts, I turn a gentler face toward her, signaling that for my part I abide by the rules of ritual. The spirit of the Luo, moved by my action, paces to and fro uncertainly, the holy light deserting her, then reappearing, now darkening, now shining again; she lifts her light body in the posture of a crane, as though about to fly but not yet taking wing.[2]
Copied in Yizhai’s study in the late spring of the guichou year, your junior classmate Li Yao. [Seals]: Li Yao, Cishan, zi ?
Gao Cen 高岑 (1621–1691), 1 column in standard script, dated 1670; 1 double-seal:
In the winter of the gengxu year, Gao Cen of Shicheng [Nanjing].
庚戌冬日，石城高岑 [印]：高、岑
Leaf CC
Qian Jinfu 錢金甫 (1638–1692), 12 columns in standard script, dated 1680; 2 seals:
A poem of 30 seven-character lines in reminiscence of the author’s hometown in the south while living in the capital (not translated).
Inscribed for the elder Mao for his advice in the late spring of the gengshen year. Your junior friend from Yunjian [near modern Shanghai], Qian Jinfu. [Seals]: Qian Jinfu yin, Yuejiang
Li Duna 勵杜訥 (1628–1703), 7 columns in standard script, undated; 3 seals:
Young and old congregated, and there was a throng of men of distinction. Surrounding the pavilion were high hills with lofty peaks, luxuriant woods and tall bamboos. There was, moreover, a swirling, splashing stream, wonderfully clear, which curved around it like a ribbon, and we seated ourselves along it in a drinking game, in which cups of wine were set afloat and drifted to those who sat downstream.[3]
A copy made from memory for the elder Mao for his advice. [Signed] Duna. [Seals]: Duna zhi yin, Dan Yuan, Qiuyi shipan
He Yuanying 何元英 (jinshi degree 1655), 4 columns in cursive script, dated 1671; 3 seals:
Emulating Yunlin’s (Ni Zan, 1306–1374) brushwork on a spring day in the xinhai year. He Yuanying of Yuanshui [Xingtai, Hebei Province]. [Seals]: Yuanying, Ruiyin, Jiashu shanlin
辛亥春日擬雲林筆致。鴛水何元英 [印]：元英、蕤音、嘉樹山林
Leaf FF
Zhou Lianggong 周亮工 (1612–1672), 6 columns in clerical script followed by 2 columns in semi-cursive script, dated 1670 by the seal at the beginning of the inscription; 3 seals:
Over the long ride on the Yellow River, the traveler’s thoughts cool down; The paths on Mt. Zhuyu haven’t turned entirely desolate. Gulls in a bay of autumn water look like cranes; On the slopes of yellow mud, jujubes have replaced mulberries. After retirement, I will return home and build a reed cottage; As the night rain deepens my sorrow, I dream of my Banana Studio.[4] On this high levee, let me get drunk with the wine from Lanling [Shandong Province], But I don’t know anyone who can ever forget his hometown.
Composed in a boat on the Yellow River and presented to my friend Maoshu (Sun Zhiru 孫志儒, jinshi 1643) for his correction. [Signed] Zhou Liangong. [Seals]: Zhou Lianggong yin, Mi’an, gengxu
Unidentified artist, 8 columns in standard script, undated:
A regulated verse (lüshi) of five-character lines on a river scene at sunset in autumn (not translated).
I had never seen Youjun’s [Wang Xizhi, 303–361] or Daling’s [Wang Xianzhi, 344–386] transcription of “Luoshen fu” (Rhapsody on the Goddess of the Luo River) that was written in a brush manner almost identical to Yuanchang’s [Zhong You, 151–230] and close to the cursive clerical script type. But I happened to see one. So refreshing and spirited, it was a truly precious treasure! I was instantly prompted to emulate it, but could not capture its semblance. I hope the elder Mao would correct me. [Signed] Jie.
Lu Jie 魯介 (unidentified), 1 column in standard script, undated; 1 seal:
[Signed] Lu Jie [Seal]: Jie
魯介 [印]：介
Leaf II
Zhaochu 朝初 (unidentified), 6 columns in standard script, undated; 2 seals:
Two quatrains of seven-character lines. One describes a stroll up a mountain, and the other recalls the author’s hometown in the Lake Tai (Jiangsu Province) region while he was in the capital (not translated).
Inscribed for the elder Mao for his correction. Your junior friend, Zhaochu.
翠巘晴嵐黛色流，山腰一半淡煙浮。杖藜獨為看雲去，溪北溪南仄徑幽。
長安紅土撲雕鞍，為話家山想像間。萬頃太湖煙不斷，青天七十二層巒。
題似茂老年道翁正之。弟朝初 [印]：朝、初，雲半閒
Leaf J
Yu Xuan 俞選 (unidentified), 1 column in standard script, undated; 2 seals:
[Signed] Yu Xuan
Illegible seals: 2
俞選 [二印不辨]
Leaf K
Gao Yu 高遇 (active late 17th c.), 1 column in standard script, dated 1670; 1 seal:
In the tenth month of the gengxu year, Gao Yu from Baixia [Nanjing] painted this. [Seal]: Yu
庚戌小春月白下高遇畫。 [印]：遇
Leaf L
Fan Qi 樊圻 (1616–after 1694), 2 columns in standard script, dated 1670; 1 double-seal:
Painted in the winter of the gengxu year. [Seals]: Fan, Qi
庚戌冬日畫。 [印]：樊、圻
Leaf LL
He Yuanying 何元英 (jinshi degree 1655), 6 columns in cursive script, undated; 1 seal:
A jade flute in hand creates the sound of phoenix; Moist breeze fills the night sky illuminated by moonlight. How come that on Mt. Gou, where Prince [Jin of the Zhou dynasty (6th c. BCE) played the sheng pipes], Flute music supposedly produced on the pavilion by Princess Nongyu (of the Qin state, 7th c. BCE) is heard?
Written for the elder Mao. [Signed] He Yuanying [Seal]: He Yuanying yin
手把瓊簫作鳳鳴，滿天風露月華明。如何王子緱山上，卻有秦樓弄玉聲。
書為茂老年翁。何元英 [印]：何元英印
Leaf M
No artist’s inscription or signature; 1 seal:
Pingyuan 平遠
Leaf MM
Fan Biying 范必英 (1631–1692), 10 columns in standard script, undated; 3 seals:
A poem of 12 seven-character lines expressing homesickness while serving at court, stirred by a painting that could be the one on the facing page (not translated).
I inscribed this album at the suggestion of my friend Yue, who was about to return.
Composed in quick response for a laugh from the elder Mao. [Signed] Fan Biying from Changzhou (Jiangsu Province). [Seals]: Qiutao, Xishan cang, Wanglai wuhu Tiao Zha jian
Painted for the elder Mao on a spring day in the guichou year. [Signed] Shen Andeng [Seals]: Shen Andeng yin, Shengya yipian qingshan
癸丑春日為茂翁先生畫。沈岸登 [印]：沈岸登印、生涯一片青山
Leaf NN
He Lianggong 何亮功 (juren degree 1657), 8 columns in semi-cursive script, dated 1673; 2 seals:
Excerpt from Su Shi’s 蘇軾 (1037–1101) letter to Chen Zao 陳慥 (active late 11th c.) with slight variations (not translated).
In the late spring of the guichou year when I was about to return to Baixia [Nanjing], the elder Maoshu presented this album to me for my calligraphy. Not a great calligrapher and embarrassed by my scribbles, I rushed to fulfill his request while preparing to leave. I wished I could transform my ordinary bones, but there were no magical pills. Your junior friend from Tongshan [Jiangsu Province], He Lianggong, wrote and noted. [Seals]: Lao chen, He Lianggong yin
You are like [Wang] Xianzhi (344–386) descended from Xizhi (303–361). My calligraphy is no comparison to yours.
Shi Yanjie 史顏節 (1596–?), 2 columns in standard script; dated 1671; 2 seals:
Done for the elder Maoshu for a laugh in the early summer of the xinhai year. [Signed] Shi Yanjie. [Seals]: Ruizhi, Shi Yanjie yin
辛亥初夏為茂叔老親臺粲。史顏節 [印]：睿之、史顏節印
Leaf OO
Zhu Yizun 朱彜尊 (1629–1709), 14 columns in standard script, undated; 2 seals:
At a banquet in a magnificent hall, the guests were not yet drunk. Our host, genuinely hospitable, wanted to bring smiles to our faces. Fine wine-cups and jade goblets did not count; He urged us to try an ornate silver vessel that weighed three huan (about 2 pounds). An ancient tree with crisscrossing branches is almost a thousand years old, Its frosty bark cracked and peeling, its twigs torn. Beneath some shaded cliff, it looks hacked by a devil’s ax; Raindrops have accumulated to mottle its surface secretly with moss.
The Envoy seeking the origin of the Yellow River [Zhang Qian, ca. 164–113 BCE] was fashioned from imagination; Here he sits with knees pulled up high, his head almost bald. With an aloof and self-possessed air, He looks as if having just returned from the Heavenly River. It is said that he encountered the Weaving Girl on the bank, But regrettably this beauty with lovely hair is not shown.
After tilting the hollowed-out vessel to finish off the last drop of wine, We wondered how a carving knife could create the curved interior surface. Passed around the tables, it made us wild for its sheer extraordinariness With a semblance of a white bird in a graceful flight. Upon a closer look, there was an incised inscription of the Zhizheng reign era (1341–1368). Who could have produced this? Zhu Bishan must be the one. This outstanding craftsman with high reputation must have worked his guts out; Look at the cup. Wasn’t it created with tremendous efforts!
Our host has gathered a wide range of inscriptions on stones and metal vessels, And he chatted with us further about the Tianli era (1328–1330). Master Danqiu (Ke Jiusi, 1290–1343), who loved strange and antique objects, Once commissioned a metal magical mushroom that looked as if freshly picked. At that time, Yu Ji (1272–1348) and Jie Xisi (1274–1344) exchanged gifts with [Zhu’s] works, Which facilitated their circulation in society. After Li Zicheng (1606–1645) and his rebel army ravaged the capital Yan, They withdrew to the west with quantities of pillaged gold and silk. One after another they entered stores to find metal objects for forging. If not used, the trophies were cast away among thick weeds along the roads.
Upon these words, we can’t help sighing again and again. How sad that only one vessel has survived from its original pair. There are many exceptional craftsmen in my hometown, Whose ingenuity and skill could compare with Gongshu Ban (5th c. BCE), the ancient master. Lately Zhang has emerged in bronze production and Huang in tin vessels, But neither is as virtuosic as this one from earlier times. Coming from different places but seated close together, let’s get drunk And not sober up to feel homesick.
“Song on the Silver Raft-shaped Cup,” presented for correction. [Signed] Yizun [Seals]: Zhu Yizun yin, Zhucha
Unidentified artist, 3 columns in standard script written with pen, undated:
清初名家書畫冊，畫以金陵八家派，書有朱彜尊、周亮工等，均為珍品。
[1] The inscriptions in the album are translated by Shi-yee Liu unless noted otherwise. [2] Excerpt from Cao Zhi’s “Luoshen fu” (Rhapsody on the Goddess of the Luo River). Translation by Burton Watson. In Classical Chinese Literature: An Anthology of Translations. Vol. I, from Antiquity to the Tang Dynasty, edited by John Minford and Joseph S. M. Lau, New York: Columbia University Press, 2000, p. 316. [3] Excerpt from Wang Xizhi’s Lanting ji xu (Preface to the Orchid Pavilion Poems). Translation by H.C. Chang. In Classical Chinese Literature: An Anthology of Translations. Vol. I, from Antiquity to the Tang Dynasty, p. 480. [4] The Banana Studio (Jiao Tang) was the name of Zhou Lianggong’s study when he was stuck in Shaowu, Fujian Province, on his way to take his new post in Fuzhou between 1647 and 1648. [5] Zhou Lianggong, “Pei He jiuri ci Wu Guanwu shi Wang Shouge ruoshi 沛河九日次吴冠五示王壽格若士” (Nine days on the Pei River, composed in the rhyme of Wu Guanwu’s poem and presented to the recluse Wang Shouge), Laigu Tang ji 賴古堂集, chapter 9. [6] Zhu Yizun, “Zhu Bishan yincha ge Sun Shaozai xishang fu 朱碧山銀槎歌孫少宰席上賦” (Song on Zhu Bishan’s silver raft-shaped vessel composed at a banquet hosted by District Magistrate Sun), Pushu Ting ji 曝書亭集, chapter 7.
Julia and John Curtis , Williamsburg, VA (until 2015; donated to MMA)
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Dreams of Yellow Mountain: Landscapes of Survival in Seventeenth-Century China," September 13, 2003–February 22, 2004.
New York. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. "Companions in Solitude: Reclusion and Communion in Chinese Art," July 31, 2021–August 14, 2022.
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