Excerpt from the 'Rhapsody of the Eastern Capital'
late 18th to early 19th century
The Qing Dynasty (1644-1912) was a golden age for Chinese calligraphy, during which scholars and calligraphers actively experimented with multiple styles and scripts from a wide range of sources, taking their inspiration from inscriptions on ancient bronzes and stone stele from the distant past. This interest in epigraphy led to the rise of the so-called “Stele school.” Han clerical script, as used here, is one of the five basic scripts in Chinese calligraphy, and was known through rubbings and inscriptions on mountains. It was the main script during the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220 AD), and experienced a revival in the Qing period, becoming a source of inspiration for many calligraphers. This masterful work is defined by a formal and austere appearance, where straight lines and angles supplant curves. Gui Fu (1736-1805) is a representative scholar-official master of clerical script.
This is an excerpt from the Rhapsody of the Eastern Capital, a prose-poem hybrid composed by Zhang Heng (78-139) of the Eastern Han period. Monumental in size, Gui's calligraphy is distinguished by its architectonic form. The composition of each character is tightly knitted by powerful, even-pressured strokes. Moreover, occasional modulated, flaring brush movements enhance the rhythm of the work. In executing this work, Gui had deliberately and successfully cultivated the impression of characters being chiseled into a stone surface. As such, it is a prime example of the “Stele school.”
The inscription reads:
As ‘Mingjia’ (a plant used for divination) is difficult to cultivate,
It may not be seen for many generations.
Only my Lord (Emperor), who reigns in harmony and peace, is able to plant it,
Allowing its sprouting pods to reveal the blessing (from Heaven) on the steps of the Palace.
--Yumen, Gui Fu (1736-1805)
蓋蓂莢為難蒔也。故曠世而不覿。
唯我后能殖之以至和平。方將數諸朝階。
雩門 桂馥 （1736－1805）
Ink on paper
73 1/2 × 34 1/2in. (186.7 × 87.6cm)
Purchased with funds from Frank S. Bayley III, Mimi Gardner Gates and Michael Sullivan Fund in honor of Josh Yiu
2013.12
Provenance: Robert S.Q. Ku顧小坤, Vancouver, British Columbia Canada, possibly since 1970s
