Terms and conditions of use
Calligraphy in the running script (seven characters couplet)
(書法 (行書七言對聯))
Qing dynasty, Tongzhi period 1862-1874
- Medium
- ink on paper
- Measurements
- (a) 103.7 × 30.7 cm (image) (right scroll)
(b) 105.4 × 30.6 cm (image) (left scroll) - Place/s of Execution
- China
- Inscription
- (a) inscribed in brush and ink (in image) u.c.r.: 子琴世講通守雅屬
(b) inscribed in brush and ink (in image) l.c.l.: 雪亜(...illeg.)麟
stamped in red ink l.c.l.: 青宮光祿 / 彭亜麟 - Accession Number
- 1710.a-b-D4
- Department
- Asian Art
- Credit Line
- National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne
Purchased, 1956
This digital record has been made available on NGV Collection Online through the generous support of The Gordon Darling Foundation - Gallery location
- Not on display
- Physical description
- (a) It is written in seven Chinese characters in the so-called running or semi-cursive script (行書 xing shu) of calligraphy. This vertical piece of calligraphy is also the first line of a couplet of poems, echoed and balanced by the second line of the couplet. Read from top to bottom: 鐘鼎書法古所重 translated as ‘Bells and [bronze] ding vessel the calligraphy of which has been valued since antiquity’. The characters are well spaced and written fluently. This piece of calligraphy is one of a pair. It is placed on the right side of the pair and is read first, as Chinese is read from right to left. (b) This piece of calligraphy is written in seven Chinese characters in the so-called running or semi-cursive script (行書 xing shu) of calligraphy. It is also the second line of a couplet of poetry, echoing and matching in meaning the seven characters in the first line) of the couplet. Read from top to bottom: 金石刻作臣能為 is translated as ‘Inscriptions on [archaic] bronze and stone engravings [stone stele] I [addressing himself as 臣 an official] can do [master or accomplish]’. This second line matches the first line of the couplet: 鐘鼎書法古所重 translated as ‘Bells and [bronze] ding vessel the calligraphy of which has been valued since antiquity’. The first four characters in each line such as 金石刻作 meaning ‘Inscriptions on [archaic] bronze and stone engravings [stone stele]’ in the second line on the left matches the first four characters 鐘鼎書法 meaning ‘Bells and [bronze] ding vessel the calligraphy’ in the first line on the right. The fifth character 臣 meaning ‘himself as 臣 an official’ in the second line matches the fifth character 古 meaning ‘antiquity’ in the first line. Finally, the last two characters 能為 meaning ‘can do or accomplish’ in the second line matches the last two characters 所重 meaning ‘valued’ in the first line. This piece of calligraphy is one of a pair. It is placed on the left side of the pair and is read last, as Chinese is read from right to left.
