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Chinese Calligraphy and Poetry

Traditional Chinese calligraphy artworks featuring poems and prose, highlighting the aesthetics of ink on paper from the Ming and Qing dynasties.

Poem in Running Script, late 18th - early 19th century, Murase Kōtei, Japanese, 1744 - 1819, 10 3/4 × 8 5/8 in. (27.31 × 21.91 cm), Ink on paper, Japan, 18th-19th century

Chieh-yuan', a Buddhist scripture written in 448 A.D., is one of the oldest manuscripts in China. Beijing Library.

Quatrain on Late Spring Emperor Lizong Chinese A Song palace seal impressed on the left-hand side of this writing reads: "Treasure of imperial writing."In his poem, the emperor laments the coming of old age:How spring makes me sad!Timidly I bear the passing of spring.The young lady has no feeling for me,She treats my love merely as that of a waning spring.(Wen C. Fong, trans., in Beyond Representation: Chinese Painting and Calligraphy, 8th-14th Century New York: Metropolitan Museum of Art, 1992, p. 242.). Quatrain on Late Spring 40188

Chang'an left of a pair, 1818, Kameda Bōsai, Japanese, 1752 - 1826, 53 7/8 × 120 3/8 in. (136.84 × 305.75 cm) (image)67 1/4 × 135 1/16 × 5/8 in., Ink on paper, Japan, 19th century, This pair of screens features the calligraphy of Kameda Bōsai, a Confucian scholar celebrated for his dynamic, vibrant handwriting. (Confucianism is an ancient philosophy and code of ethics that underpins the culture of China and its neighbors.) As a scholar, Bōsai was familiar with classical Chinese literature and culture and was a skilled calligrapher, painter, and poet in his own right. In this pair of screens he used the expressive 'running' style of calligraphy, in which characters are abbreviated and multiple characters occasionally run together. The text is a transcription of a Chinese ballad (qilu) called 'Changan, Ancient Theme' ('Changan guyi') by Lu Zhaolin (c. 634-684). The city of Changan, today known as Xian, was significant to the Japanese—two of Japans early imperial capitals, Heijō and

Quatrain in cursive Script, second half 19th century, Ōnuma Chinzan, Japanese, 1818 - 1891, 8 13/16 × 7 15/16 in. (22.38 × 20.16 cm), Ink on paper, Japan, 19th century

Essay for Liu Jingzhong Chen Jiru Chinese. Essay for Liu Jingzhong 48960

Letter to Takeshita sensei, mid 19th century, Kōno Tettō, Japanese, 1825 - 1867, 6 3/8 × 20 1/2 in. (16.19 × 52.07 cm) (sheet)7 13/16 × 21 3/4 in. (19.84 × 55.25 cm) (mount), Ink on paper, Japan, 19th century

Poetry. First and second page with kyoka poems from the Book Fugenzo from Utamaro.

Woman at a cage that a bird flew out of, text Risetsu

Five personal letters tagaki Rengetsu Japanese mid- to late 19th century Five examples of personal correspondence by the Buddhist nun and poet-calligrapher tagaki Rengetsu, inscribed in her distinctive thin, delicate calligraphy, have been remounted as a handscroll. A colophon in the bold, brusque handwriting of her protégé and lifelong friend Tomioka Tessai (1836-1924) was added at the time the letters were compiled in 1919, when Tessai was 84 years old (by traditional Japanese reckoning). Although these letters comprise informally written prose by Rengetsu, not the examples of tanka (31-syllable poetry) we are accustomed to seeing, still the handwriting displays the open, rounded, freewheeling forms that are associated with the brushwork of the this famous nun-calligrapher. Kana (Japanese syllables) and kanji (Chinese characters) flow rapidly, mostly without lifting the brush, to create an overall harmonious effect.Rengetsus poetry and calligraphy have enjoyed a great reception in t

Calligraphy in Stone Drum Script(Shiguwen). Artist: Wu Changshuo, Chinese, 1844-1927

Epitaph Tablet for Yi Munseong (1503-1575), from a Set of 7 Korean. Epitaph Tablet for Yi Munseong (1503-1575), from a Set of 7, circa 1579. Porcelain with underglaze, 9 7/16 × 7 7/8 in. (24 × 20 cm). Asian Art circa 1579

Japanese manuscript on smallpox, c. 1720

Umewaka-Maru Emaki., 1601 - 1700

Japan, Yamada Naosaburo, Seihô, Takeuchi, Seiho gahaku hitsu junishi jo, Twelve signs of the zodiac by Seiho, cover page - stamped, Leporello album; light brown cover with white title stripe with gold-coloured eye splashes at the top centre; 13 leaves: first page, title page; 12 prints with the animals of the zodiac: rat, ox, tiger, hare, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, dog, pig; last page, colophon. In green cover with white title stripe., print album, prints, Japan (collection), height 364 mm, width 250 mm, width 499 mm, Japanese, 1864-11-22 - 1942-08-23, print maker, printmaker, 1900 - 1915, paper, colour woodcut, Publication (Event), Publication, publisher

Hanging Flower Arrangement with Butterflies Sato Hodai (Japanese). Hanging Flower Arrangement with Butterflies, ca. 1850. Color woodblock print on paper, 7 1/8 x 9 3/4 in. (18.1 x 24.8 cm). Asian Art ca. 1850

A Mirror of Gathered Seaweed (Mokagami) 8th-17th century Various calligraphers Albums of exemplary calligraphy specimens, referred to as tekagami, or mirrors of the hand,” bring together fragments cut from handscrolls or bound booklets and also served as models of different brushwriting styles for students of calligraphy. The practice of creating such compendia became popular in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries.. A Mirror of Gathered Seaweed (Mokagami). Various calligraphers. Japan. 8th-17th century. Album of 301 calligraphy fragments; mostly ink on paper, some on dyed or decorated paper. Nara (710-794)-Edo (1615-1868) period. Calligraphy

Spring and Autumn Quatrains pt. 1, right, first half 18th century, Hattori Nankaku, Japanese, 1683 - 1759, 72 15/16 × 20 3/4 in. (185.26 × 52.71 cm) (image), Hanging scroll; ink on paper, Japan, 18th century

A Seven-Character Quatrain in Cursive Script , 19th century. Ink on paper, 40 1/2 x 15 1/2 in. (102.9 x 39.4 cm). Asian Art 19th century

Kaishien gaden' or 'The Mustard Seed Garden Painting Manual,' 1753, by Wang Gai, active 1677-1705., Kyoto. Features woodcuts

Acu-moxa chart: points of the shoulders, Japanese woodcut

Transmitting the Spirit, Revealing the Form of Things: Hokusai Sketchbooks, first volume (Denshin kaishu: Hokusai manga, shohen). Artist: Katsushika Hokusai (Japanese, Tokyo (Edo) 1760-1849 Tokyo (Edo)). Culture: Japan. Dimensions: Overall: 9 × 6 1/4 × 3/8 in. (22.9 × 15.9 × 1 cm). Date: after 1828. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Chinese Poem on an Imaginary Landscape early 17th century Yelan Xinggui (Japanese: Yaran Shkei) The baku Zen master Yelan Xinggui, the calligrapher of this hanging scroll, never made it to Japan to take up a position as abbot of Sfukuji temple in Nagasaki, though he had been invited and intended to take up the offer. He set sail from China in 1651, but tragically the ship he was on sank and Yelan was lost at sea. Nevertheless, his bold, dynamic calligraphy was cherished by his many disciples in both China and those who had emigrated to Japan.Four columns of cursive calligraphy transcribe one of Yelan’s own poems, one that in the colophon, Yelan playfully suggests that he had composed after taking a late nap using a rock for a pillow. Composed in the set structure of eight lines of seven syllables each, the poem describes the majestic landscape that unfolded before his eyes, including meandering clouds and a gushing waterfall. The calligraphy adheres to baku convention for crea

Zhong Shaojing was an official of the Tang Dynasty (618-907 CE) and Wu Zetian's Zhou Dynasty (690-705), briefly serving as a chancellor during the reign of Emperor Ruizong. Zhong's calligraphy was so frequently requested that almost all horizontal boards and signs of famous palaces and buildings were inscribed by him during the time of Empress Wu Zetian.

Paediatric finger diagnosis chart:

Edo, Ikku, Jippensha, Text, Thirteenth and fourteenth text pages of part two of Utamaro`s book: Events in the pleasure houses during the year., page, prints, engravings, Japan (collection), height 226 mm, width 158 mm, Japanese, 1765 - 1831, writer, 1804 - 1804, first quarter 19th century, paper, woodcut

Epitaph Tablet for Yi Munseong (1503-1575), from a Set of 7 Korean. Epitaph Tablet for Yi Munseong (1503-1575), from a Set of 7, circa 1579. Porcelain with underglaze, 9 7/16 × 7 7/8 in. (24 × 20 cm). Asian Art circa 1579

Untitled (frontispiece description: Tōfukumonin yogo kitsuke oiwa (celebration of Tofukumonin …) 19th century Japan. Untitled (frontispiece description: Tōfukumonin yogo kitsuke oiwa (celebration of Tofukumonin …). Japan. 19th century . Woodblock-printed book. Illustrated Books

Kaishien gaden = The mustard seed garden painting manual. Japanese edition,. Wang, Gai, active 1677-1705. Prints, Illustrations. 1753. Spencer Collection

The Tale of Ise, 1662, Fujiwara Sueari, Japanese, active 17th century, 4 7/8 × 3 1/2 × 1/2 in. (12.38 × 8.89 × 1.27 cm), Woodblock printed book; ink on paper, Japan, 17th century

New Years Letter to Yamazaki, late 19th - early 20th century, Yamamoto Baisō, Japanese, 1846 - 1921, 6 1/2 × 18 in. (16.51 × 45.72 cm), Ink on paper, Japan, 19th-20th century

Text, 1804 Eleventh and twelfth text page of part two of Utamaro`s book: Events in the Lusthuizen during the year. Or paper

Running Script Calligraphy, 16th-17th century, Dong Qichang, Chinese, 1555 - 1636, 9 3/4 x 21 3/8 in. (24.77 x 54.29 cm) (image, sheet), Ink on gold paper; fan, China, 16th-17th century

Title Page From an Album of Twelve Leaves Wang Yuanqi (Chinese, 1642-1715). , 1700. Album leaves, ink and watercolor on paper, 12 3/4 x 18 ¼ in. each. Asian Art 1700

The Eight Techniques of the Spirit Tortoise, woodcut

Kyoka poems and colophon. Last and penultimate page with kyoka poems and extremely left the colophon of the book ginsekai from Utamaro.

Kaishien gaden = The Mustard Seed Garden Painting Manual, 1753, by Wang Gai, active 1677-1705, Kyoto; Woodcuts

Epitaph Tablet for Bak Eun (1479-1504), from a Set of 14 Korean. Epitaph Tablet for Bak Eun (1479-1504), from a Set of 14, 1509. Porcelain with underglaze, 9 3/8 × 6 1/8 × 1 3/8 in. (23.8 × 15.6 × 3.5 cm). Asian Art 1509

Scroll 1. Scene 1. 1500 - 1525. text. Illustrations. Spencer Collection

Gishi Shozo Sanshi (Annotated Portraits of Loyal Retainers) Gishi Shozo Sanshi (Annotated Portraits of Loyal Retainers), 1850. Paper, 10 3/8 x 7 in. (26.4 x 17.8 cm). Asian Art 1850

Ececlopultation of noh plays - part two; Nôga Taikan Dai Ni Maki. Album with green silk cover with floral motif; Printed title sheet in the middle; 42 sheets: 1 title sheet; 1 Sheet with table of contents; 40 blades with illustrations of different scenes from NOH plays with bracts on which explanation in Japanese.

Teaching Calligraphy 18th century Japan. Teaching Calligraphy. Japan. 18th century. Woodblock printed book; ink on paper. Illustrated Books

Mountain and Calligraphy 18th-19th century Ike Taiga. Mountain and Calligraphy. Ike Taiga (Japanese, 1723-1776). Japan. 18th-19th century. Album leaves mounted as hanging scrolls; ink on paper. Edo period (1615-1868). Paintings

Calligraphy Yuan Zhi Chinese. Calligraphy 35993

Rubbing of a Qing Dynasty Stone Tablet from the "Forest of Stelae". Culture: China. Dimensions: Image: 50 1/8 × 14 5/8 in. (127.3 × 37.1 cm). Date: 20th century. Museum: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA.

Two pages from 'Hai Duong phong vat khuc dung quoc am ca' handwritten in Han Nom. Probably late 19th or early 20th century. Chu Nom is an obsolete writing system of the Vietnamese language. It makes use of Chinese characters (known as Han Tu in Vietnamese), and characters coined following the Chinese model. The earliest known example of Chu Nom dates to the 13th century. It was used almost exclusively by the Vietnamese elite, mostly for recording Vietnamese literature (formal writings were, in most cases, not done in Vietnamese, but in classical Chinese). It has almost been completely replaced by Quoc Ngu, a script based on the Latin alphabet.

Passage from the Sutra of Perfect Enlightenment Zekkai Chshin Japanese ca. 1380s-1405 Two brusquely brushed columns of cursive Chinese characters by the celebrated monk-calligrapher Zekkai Chshin comprise a famous passage about overcoming delusional thinking from the Sutra of Perfect Enlightenment, referred to as Engaku-ky in Japanese, and Yuanyue jing in Chinese (fig. 1). The transcription reads: Japanese pronunciation: Ms no ky ni jshite, rychi o kuwaezu rychi naki ni oite, shinjitsu oo benzezuDwelling in the realm of delusional thinking, one cannot attain a clear understanding of things. Without a clear understanding of things, one cannot discern actual reality.(Translated by John T. Carpenter)The Sutra of Perfect Enlightenment, though borrowing ideas and phrases from earlier sources, is believed to be an apocryphal text created in China in the late seventh or early eighth century that provided legitimacy for the localized

Poetry, 1790 First and second page Kyoka poems from the book Ginsekai by Utamaro. Or paper

Mount Fuji, late 18th century, Shibano Ritsuzan, Japanese, 1736 - 1807, 67 3/8 × 21 11/16 in. (171.13 × 55.09 cm) (image), Ink on paper, Japan, Cursive script (sōsho), Shibano Ritsuzan was a Confucian scholar and literatusa learned person who cultivated his skills in arts and letters. In 1787 he was summoned to serve the Tokugawa shogunate government. Ritsuzan became one of the main architects of legal codes that enforced the stricter Neo-Confucian teachings of Zhu Xi (1130-1200) and ended earlier steps towards liberalization. This is one of Ritsuzan’s most famous verses. Written in running script, he disregarded the five-character format of his poem and wrote it rather unorthodox in four columns of 13-12-12-3 characters

Text. Page 48 and 49 of part one of Utamaro`s book: Events in the Lusthuizen during the year.

Temporary Palace at Yoshino, second half 19th century, Murase Taiitsu, Japanese, 1803 - 1881, 43 3/4 × 11 5/16 in. (111.13 × 28.73 cm) (image)68 3/4 × 16 7/16 in. (174.63 × 41.75 cm) (mount, without roller), Ink on paper, Japan, 19th century, Angular, thin, and unconventional, the brushwork here may appear unsteady and unskilled, but is in fact Murases carefully crafted signature writing style. He was an accomplished poet, calligrapher, and painter, and studied Chinese literature and philosophy. This poem is an example of qiyan jueju poetry, which is a quatrain of seven characters each in length with two pairs of couplets. In this poem, Murase draws upon his knowledge of Chinese history to compose a poem about the collapse of the once-mighty Tang dynasty (618-907 ce) due to Emperor Xuanzongs obsession with Yang Guifei, his favorite concubine and one of the four great beauties of ancient China.

Letter of congratulations, late 16th - early 17th century, Konoe Nobutada, Japanese, 1565 - 1614, 6 11/16 × 25 3/4 in. (16.99 × 65.41 cm) (image), Ink on paper, Japan, Cursive script (sōsho), This congratulatory letter is written with characters strung together, addressed to an unknown friend of the high-ranking courtier and literati scholar Konoe Nobutada

Okayama, Daruma Shoten, Japan, Yotsuya Tôhachi, Gesson, Okamoto, Gesson gashu - kon, Collection of drawings by Gesson - earth, top right in cover - pasted in, One volume (of two); white mottled cover with title in black, from right to left; 40 leaves, numbered: 1a, title page; 1b, biography; 2, calligraphy on white paper; 3a, print of an animal standing on its hind legs near reeds and a crescent moon; 3b-32, images of people and landscapes, alternating with calligraphy; 33-41, text and red seals; inside cover, colophon; back cover, image of two seated men. Preserved together with the accompanying volume in a dark blue cover with a white title stripe at the top center., book, prints, Japan (collection), ISSEIDO Tokyo, height 202 mm, width 287 mm, Japanese, 1876 - 1931, print maker, printmaker, 1934-04-15 - 1934-04-15, paper, woodcut, letterpress printing, printer, Publication (Event), Publication, publisher

Collection of drawings of Gesson - Earth, 1934 book One part (of two); White mixed cover with in black the title, from right to left; 40 sheets, numbered: 1a, title page; 1b, biography; 2, calligraphy on white paper; 3a, print on hind legs standing animal in reeds and sickle maan; 3B-32, images of people and landscapes, interspersed with calligraphy; 33-41, text and red stamps; Inside cover, colophon; Cover back, image of two sitting men. Together with the accompanying part stored in dark blue cover with white title strip in the middle. paper letterpress printing

Snowscape Style of Tang Yin (Chinese, 1470-1523). Snowscape, 1739. Hanging scroll; Ink on paper, Overall: 20 3/4 x 76 7/8 in. (52.7 x 195.3 cm);. Asian Art 1739

Japanese manuscript on smallpox, c. 1720

Awaiting the Emperor's Return from the Southern Suburbs Wen Zhengming Chinese From 1523 to 1527 Wen Zhengming served as an official in the capital, where his talentsas well as his patiencewere put to the test by a flood of requests for literary compositions and calligraphy. This poem, written in celebration of the Jiaqing emperor's (r. 1522-66) return journey to his palace, is lavish in praise and formal in tone; the calligraphy is in the grand manner of Yan Zhenqing (709-785) and Huang Tingjian (1045-1105):The bell on the Imperial Lord's returning chariotcalms the singingof myriad larks;Purplish clouds, gathering above, shelter thepowerful essence.Chariots and armor glitter like brilliantconstellations.On banners preceding the emperor's chariot, sunand moon shine brightly.For ten miles the spring wind heralds theapproach of the imperial procession.All quarters are in harmony with the music ofsage emperors.In my old age I have the chance to view personallythe glory of this imperial p

Australia, Victoria, Bendigo, Golden Dragon Museum and Gardens, museum of Chinese immigrant life, Chinese characters

Five Poems Shitao (Zhu Ruoji) Chinese Shitao's versatility as a painter is matched by his broad command of ancient script types and individual earlier masters' writing styles. Unlike most of his contemporaries, who wrote in only one or two scripts, Shitao freely varied the script type, style, and scale of his writing to suit format and content.In this fan Shitao emulates the archaic regular script of Zhong You (151-230) in the first part of his text (right half) and Zhong's follower, the fourteenth-century recluse-artist Ni Zan (1306-1374) in the second part (left half). The unmodulated brushstrokes and rectilinear forms convey an air of simplicity and purity well suited to Shitao's poems, which describe his lifelong devotion to poetry, painting, and calligraphy inspite of often straitened circumstances.. Five Poems 49174

Edo, Mori Kichigoro, Kiyonaga, Torii, Ehon muchibukuro, Picture book about heroes and heroines, colophon, lower right - stamped, Two volumes (complete), bound as one volume; yellow cover with pattern in blind stamping; title strip upper left; 14 leaves, numbered: three pages, preface; 1a-6a, representations of men and women in landscapes; 1b-6b, representations of warriors and women; penultimate page, advertisements; last page, colophon., book, prints, Japan (collection), verso cover - stamped, height 205 mm, width 150 mm, Japanese, 1752 - 1815-06-28, print maker, printmaker, 1782 - 1782, fourth quarter 18th century, paper, colour woodcut, block cutter, Publication (Event), Publication, publisher

Letter written on Cheng Xin Tang paper by the Chinese Song Dynasty calligrapher Cai Xiang sometime between the years 1021-1067. Length: 24.7 cm Width 27.1 cm. Located in the National Palace Museum Taipei, Taiwan.

China, Shanghai, Shanghai Museum. Ancient Chinese calligraphy. Ming Dynasty scrolls.

Laziness is Truth, late 19th-mid 20th century, Kawamura Keikō, Japanese, born 1886, 11 5/16 × 30 3/4 in. (28.73 × 78.11 cm), Ink on paper, Japan, 19th - 20th century, Little is known about Kawamura, a woman calligrapher who was active in the early twentieth century.

Edo, Tsutaya Juzaburo (Koshodo), Utamaro, Kitagawa, Kyoka poems, Poetry, First and second pages of kyoka poems from the book Ginsekai by Utamaro., page, prints, pictures, Japan (collection), height 257 mm, width 191 mm, Japanese, 1753 - 1806, print maker, printmaker, 1790 - 1790, fourth quarter 18th century, paper, woodcut, Publication (Event), Publication, publisher

Text, 1804 Nineteenth and twentieth text page of part two of Utamaro`s book: Events in the Lusthuizen during the year. Or paper

C16 Chinese prescription book

Tablet, 1778. China, Qing dynasty (1644-1911), Qianlong reign (1735-1795). Jade; overall: 18.5 cm (7 5/16 in.).

Handscroll, Calligraphy by Ingen, Famous Buddhist Priest Ingen. , 18th century. Handscroll, ink on paper, 20 x 50 in. (50.8 x 127 cm). Asian Art 18th century

Poem in Wild Cursive script (Kuang Caoshu). Artist: Zhang Bi, Chinese, 1425-1487

Hototogisu Various artists/makers early 19th century A hototogisu, a Japanese variety of cuckoo, descends in flight against the backdrop of a full moon emerging from a bank of clouds. The painting encapsulates the atmosphere of an evening whose silence broken by the song of the hototogisu, a visual and literary metaphor celebrated in Japan since ancient timesoften referring to the sad departure of a male lover after a nocturnal tryst. Filling the blank spaces on the silk is an assortment of poetic inscriptions by associates of the artist, men of letters of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century. Numerous collaborative works of this type exist from the era, often executed in this particular format, with kyka (popular, often witty or playful verses) poems accompanying a small image. Horizontal bands of ink and light color contribute to the evocative quality of the painting. Kubo Shunman, a kyka master as well as a painter and a designer of woodblock prints, lived and worked in

Dainihon rokuju yoshu meisho zue - mokuroku, Table of contents., 1856., 1 print : woodcut, color ; 35.9 x 24.4 cm., Print shows a table of contents page for the series of prints, Famous views in the sixty-odd provinces. The list of prints is arranged in the Provincial order of old Japan.

Buddhist Text: Fragment from Tun Huang Cave Sanctuary, c. 600, 10 3/8 x 16 1/4 in. (26.35 x 41.28 cm) (sheet), Ink on paper, China, 6th-7th century, This rare fragment from an unidentified sutra is written in a seventeen-character format typical of the majority of the Buddhist manuscripts found in the famous Mogao cave sanctuaries at Dunhuang which yielded thousands of early Buddhist writings. Dating to the Sui dynasty (581-618), the paper has a smooth surface, horizontal chain lines, and is dyed yellow with herb juice to prevent insect damage.

Illustration of Sign or Badge (on Banner, Costume, etc.) Proscribed for Subjects of the Tokugawa ca. 1794 Baron Matsudaira Japanese. Illustration of Sign or Badge (on Banner, Costume, etc.) Proscribed for Subjects of the Tokugawa. Japanese. ca. 1794. Ink on paper. Miscellaneous

Figures with Calligraphy of a Passage from the "Heike Monogatari" ("The Tales of Heike"), 1700s. Yosa Buson (Japanese, 1716-1783). Hanging scroll; ink and light color on paper; overall: 157.5 x 28.6 cm (62 x 11 1/4 in.); painting only: 111.3 x 27.1 cm (43 13/16 x 10 11/16 in.).

Calligraphy Yang Wencong Chinese. Calligraphy 35999

Ideas for Various Things of the Seasons 1837 Hanzan (Matsukawa) Japanese. Ideas for Various Things of the Seasons. Hanzan (Matsukawa) (Japanese, 1820-1882). Japan. 1837. Set of two woodblock printed books; ink on paper. Edo period (1615-1868). Illustrated Books

Title page from a Han-Nom edition of 'Luu Binh dien ca', woodblock printed in Hanoi, 1923. The text concerns a wife's admonition to her husband as well as the promises of the husband. Chu Nom is an obsolete writing system of the Vietnamese language. It makes use of Chinese characters (known as Han Tu in Vietnamese), and characters coined following the Chinese model. The earliest known example of Chu Nom dates to the 13th century. It was used almost exclusively by the Vietnamese elite, mostly for recording Vietnamese literature (formal writings were, in most cases, not done in Vietnamese, but in classical Chinese). It has almost been completely replaced by Quoc Ngu, a script based on the Latin alphabet.

Snowscape Style of Tang Yin (Chinese, 1470-1523). Snowscape, 1739. Hanging scroll; Ink on paper, Overall: 20 3/4 x 76 7/8 in. (52.7 x 195.3 cm);. Asian Art 1739

Selection of Chinese paintings. Rong Bao Zhai (1672- ), publishing house

Japanese manuscript on smallpox, c. 1720

World of Arts - 22, Morikawa Sobun, 1892 book Blue-red-green cover with the title in black; Inside cover, table of contents; 17 sheets, numbered: 1-17, with images of people, animals and landscapes and a few pages text; Inside cover, colophon. Tokyo paper color woodcut

Taiitsu's Grave Inscription, second half 19th century, Miyahara Setsuan, 40 1/2 × 16 11/16 in. (102.87 × 42.39 cm) (image)69 3/8 × 20 1/4 in. (176.21 × 51.44 cm) (mount, without roller), Ink on paper, Japan, 19th century

Auspicious Couplet in Clerical Script Calligraphy Li Ruiqing (1867-1920). Auspicious Couplet in Clerical Script Calligraphy, 1910. Hanging scroll, ink on paper, overall: 95 1/2 x 23 in. (243.0 x 58.5 cm). Asian Art 1910

. The titles for each of the 36 prints from the Fujin Fuzoku series Zukushi Mokuroku, in Japanese, in a square white cartouche, against a yellow background with bamboo branches.

The Poets Henj and Jichin, from Stylus-Illustrated Competition of Poets of Different Periods (Mokuhitsu jidai fud uta awase-e) mid-14th century Unidentified artist A popular pastime among courtiers of ancient Japan was the poetry contest, or uta-awase, which were often recorded for posterity. During the early medieval period, handscrolls illustrating imaginary competitions among various authors, not all of whom had lived at the same time (as seen here), were also created. In this handscroll section, both competitors are Buddhist monks, each represented by three waka (31-syllable court poems). The figures were drawn with a mokuhitsu, a flat wood “stylus” that makes fine, parallel lines with one stroke. The poems are inscribed above in an unusual style that combines orthodox kana (phonetic writing) with man’ygana, the first Japanese writing system, in which Chinese characters were used to represent Japanese sounds. The poems thus visually resemble Chinese texts rather than the flowing

Page from the Collection of Poems by Lady Ise (Ise sh) early 12th century Japan Elegant strands of kana calligraphy in varying ink tones impart a sense of subtle rhythmic movement to this page of decorated paper. Printed in mica with impressed floral patterns and stylized peacocks, the paper was then further embellished with printed silver designs of pine branches, various other plants, and abstractly rendered birds in flight. The page was originally part of a set of personal poetry collections of thirty-six famous poets from ancient to Heian times, referred to as the Nishi-Honganji Edition of the Thirty-Six Poetic Immortals (Nishi-Honganji-bon Sanjrokunin kash).. Page from the Collection of Poems by Lady Ise (Ise sh). Japan. early 12th century. Page from a booklet mounted as a hanging scroll; ink on decorated paper. Heian period (794-1185). Calligraphy

Letter to Shinozaki Shōchiku, second half 19th century, Miyahara Ekian (Senso), Japanese, 1806 - 1885, 6 3/8 × 28 5/8 in. (16.19 × 72.71 cm) (sheet)7 13/16 × 29 7/8 in. (19.84 × 75.88 cm) (mount), Ink on paper, Japan, 19th century

Kaishien gaden = The mustard seed garden painting manual.. Wang, Gai, active 1677-1705. Prints, Illustrations. 1753. Spencer Collection

Donguibogam (Principles and practice of Eastern medicine), an encyclopaedia of medical knowledge and treatment techniques. compiled by Heo Jun, a Korean court physician, received a royal command to write a medical book to assist people suffering from famine, during the rule of King Seonjo (1552--1608, reigned, 1567--1608). Heo Jun himself picked the proper medicinal herbs, which were native to the Korean Peninsula. He conducted human clinical trials to test the efficacy of the medicines, and he wrote the names of the herbs in Korean so that the common people could learn them. For ease of use, the contents of the encyclopaedia were divided into five categories Naegyeong (Internals), Oehyeong (Externals), Japbyeong (Various diseases), Tangaek (Herbal juices), and Chimgu (Acupuncture). Donguibogam was disseminated as far as Japan and China and informed the evolution of medicine in East Asia and beyond.

Fishing Boat on Reed Covered Bank and Calligraphy 18th-19th century Ike Taiga. Fishing Boat on Reed Covered Bank and Calligraphy. Ike Taiga (Japanese, 1723-1776). Japan. 18th-19th century. Album leaves mounted as hanging scrolls; ink on paper. Edo period (1615-1868). Paintings

In July, Ren Bishi presided over the Hunan-Jiangxi Provincial Party Committee and passed a resolution on the urgent task of crushing the fifth "encirclement and suppression" campaign. The provincial party committee and the military region under Ren Bishi also decided to take advantage of the opportunity between the fourth and fifth "encirclement and suppression" campaigns by the enemy to quickly organize cadres to go deep into the countryside to mobilize mass production, consolidate the base areas in the Soviet area, mobilize the main force of the masses, the Red Army and local armed forces, and reorganize Hunan and Jiangxi. The Red Army should step up military training so that the revolutionary struggle in the Hunan-Jiangxi border areas can be brought into play.

Poem Commemorating an Imperially Bestowed Feast Dong Qichang Chinese dated 1632

Epitaph Tablet for Mok Seoheum (1571-1652), from a Set of 11 Korean. Epitaph Tablet for Mok Seoheum (1571-1652), from a Set of 11, ca. 1652. Porcelain with underglaze, 10 1/16 × 7 1/2 in. (25.5 × 19 cm). Asian Art ca. 1652

Epitaph Tablet for Mok Seoheum (1571-1652), from a Set of 11 Korean. Epitaph Tablet for Mok Seoheum (1571-1652), from a Set of 11, ca. 1652. Porcelain with underglaze, 10 1/16 × 7 1/2 in. (25.5 × 19 cm). Asian Art ca. 1652

Album of Poems and Paintings Album of Poems and Paintings, 19th century. Album leaves, ink and light color on paper, 8 7/16 x 6 in. (21.4 x 15.2 cm). Asian Art 19th century

Scroll II.. 1501 - 1599. Illustrations, Manuscripts. Spencer Collection

Calligraphy, Lieh Tzu, Yang-chu Chapter Kojima Soshin. Calligraphy, Lieh Tzu, Yang-chu Chapter, 1651. Handscroll; ink, color, and gold on paper, 11 3/8 x 322 in. (28.9 x 817.9cm). Asian Art 1651

Transmitting the Spirit, Revealing the Form of Things: Hokusai Sketchbooks, volume 4 (Denshin kaishu: Hokusai manga, yonhen) 1819 Katsushika Hokusai Japanese. Transmitting the Spirit, Revealing the Form of Things: Hokusai Sketchbooks, volume 4 (Denshin kaishu: Hokusai manga, yonhen) 57682

Epitaph Tablet for Yi Munseong (1503-1575), from a Set of 7 Korean. Epitaph Tablet for Yi Munseong (1503-1575), from a Set of 7, circa 1579. Porcelain with underglaze, 9 7/16 × 7 7/8 in. (24 × 20 cm). Asian Art circa 1579

New Guide to the Ways of the West: Draft (Tsūzoku nichijō Seiyō shohō shinsho sōkō 俗日常西洋諸法新書草稿), c. 1870s, Unknown Japanese, 11 × 7 3/4 × 5/8 in. (27.94 × 19.69 × 1.59 cm), Woodblock printed book; ink on paper, Japan, 19th century

Strip first half 20th century Japan. Strip 70351

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