Couplet
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.清 鄧石如 隷書 對聯 絹本
This work, written just a year before Deng Shiru’s death, encapsulates the appeal of his mature clerical script, which is typified by squat characters written in unwavering lines. Pairs of hanging scrolls like these—known as couplets (duilian)—were often hung in reception halls for special occasions. The sentiment of the poem (translated and transcribed below) is perfect for a festive celebration.
Right: The heart is a good field—plow it for a hundred
generations, and it will never be depleted.
Left: Goodness is a perfect treasure—use it for a lifetime,
and some will still remain.
心作良田百世耕之不盡
善為至寶一生用則有餘
This work, written just a year before Deng Shiru’s death, encapsulates the appeal of his mature clerical script, which is typified by squat characters written in unwavering lines. Pairs of hanging scrolls like these—known as couplets (duilian)—were often hung in reception halls for special occasions. The sentiment of the poem (translated and transcribed below) is perfect for a festive celebration.
Right: The heart is a good field—plow it for a hundred
generations, and it will never be depleted.
Left: Goodness is a perfect treasure—use it for a lifetime,
and some will still remain.
心作良田百世耕之不盡
善為至寶一生用則有餘
Artwork Details
- 清 鄧石如 隷書對聯 絹本
- Title: Couplet
- Calligrapher: Deng Shiru (Chinese, 1743–1805)
- Period: Qing dynasty (1644–1911)
- Date: 1804
- Culture: China
- Medium: Two hanging scrolls; ink on colored silk
- Dimensions: Image (each scroll): 67 1/4 × 13 5/8 in. (170.8 × 34.6 cm)
Overall (each scroll): 81 3/4 × 18 in. (207.6 × 45.7 cm) - Classification: Calligraphy
- Credit Line: Lent by Guanyuan Shanzhuang Collection
- Curatorial Department: Asian Art