Terms and conditions of use
Calligraphy in clerical or official style (couplet)
(書法 （隸 書八言對聯）)
(19th century)
- Medium
- ink on paper
- Measurements
- (a) 154.6 × 31.0 cm (image) (right scroll)
(b) 154.8 × 30.9 cm (image) (left scroll) - Place/s of Execution
- China
- Inscription
- (a) inscribed in brush and ink (in image) u.r.: 小丑先生大人命書於雲鶴僊館 即請 政隸
stamped in red ink u.r.c.: 吳氏八分
(b) inscribed in brush and ink (in image) u.l.: (...illeg.)暝晉齋吳廷康試研富且賸 (...illeg.) 玉萬春(...illeg.) 專 （磚）硯之筆
stamped in red ink l.l.: 吳廷康印
stamped in red ink l.l.: 康父 - Accession Number
- 1717.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) 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. This piece of calligraphy is written in eight Chinese characters in the li or official script and style of Chinese 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: 僅眘重言安全受福 is translated as ‘Caution and discretion in words and speech [will ensure] safety and receive good fortunes’. The characters are well spaced and balanced. They are elegant and yet structured with a steady rhythm distinguished by the sweeping brushstrokes that are echoed and repeated. There is also a dignified archaic flavour, expressing the writer as a learned scholar and a person of high status in society. (b) 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. It is written in eight Chinese characters in the li 隸, official script or style of Chinese calligraphy. This piece of calligraphy 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: 恭謙為衛壽考且神 is translated as ‘Respect and humility as (lit. to be or to serve as) protection (guard, defend) [will attain] longevity (long life) and wisdom [lit. spirit, soul, divinity’. This second line matches the first line of the couplet: 僅眘重言安全受福 translated as ‘Caution and discretion in words and speech [will ensure] safety and receive good fortunes.’ The first two characters in each line such as 恭 謙 meaning ‘Respect and humility’ in the second line on the left matches the first two characters 僅眘meaning ‘Caution and discretion’ in the first line on the right. Similarly, the third and fourth characters 為 衛 meaning ‘as protection’ in the second line matches the third and fourth characters 重言 meaning ‘in words and speech’ in the first line. The fifth and sixth characters 壽考 meaning ‘longevity’ in the second line matches the fifth and sixth characters 安全 meaning ‘safety’ in the first line. Finally, the last two characters 且神 meaning ‘and wisdom’ in the second line matches the last two characters 受福 meaning ‘receive good fortunes’ in the first line. The characters are well spaced and balanced and are elegantly written in the official or li script or style of Chinese calligraphy. They are elegant and yet structured with a steady rhythm distinguished by the sweeping brushstrokes that are echoed and repeated. There is also a dignified archaic flavour, expressing the writer as a learned scholar and a person of high status in society.
