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Department:

The Museum Proper

Replica or Original:

On Display, In Storage, or in a Private Offsite Collection:

On Display

Primary Material:

Medium:

Dimensions:

Classification/Category:

Communication Objects

Specific Classification:

Notable Signatures,

Inscriptions, and/or Markings:

Donated by:

Unknown

Accession Number

Artifact Date:

Artifact Era/Dynasty:

Unknown

Creator:

Chinese

Creator Ancestry:

00:00 / 02:01

This is a pair of "gift couplets" created with the purpose of praising others. Therefore, it is not difficult to feel between the lines that the couplet spoke highly of others, praising his literary accomplishments, sentiments and attainments as comparable to those of the famous poets Wang Wei and Du Fu. Wang Wei is very famous for his poetry, calligraphy and painting. He is very versatile and was greatly influenced by Zen Buddhism. He created the ink landscape painting school. Du Fu and Li Bai are both called "Li Du". Du Fu is regarded as the "Sage of Poetry" by later generations, and his poems are also known as the "History of Poetry" because of their social significance of the times.

Because the work is written in cursive script, the style is free and elegant, the artistic conception is elegant and ethereal, and the brushwork and lines are full of rhythm, making the viewer feel the tension and smoothness of continuity. Maybe people generally think that cursive couplets are difficult to read, but if you really don’t know them, don’t worry. We can appreciate the elusive line beauty of those calligraphy handwritings, which is not bad! The beauty is not rigid, but free and smart.

Couplet is one of China's unique literary forms. Its wonderful combination with calligraphy has become a colorful artistic creation of the Chinese nation. Couplets are elegantly called "couples" and commonly known as pairs. It is simple in expression, profound in meaning, neat in contrast, and harmonious in level and oblique. It is a unique art form of the Chinese language with one word and one sound. It can be said that the art of couplets is a cultural treasure of the Chinese nation. It is a pity that there are fewer and fewer people hanging couplets in their family rooms now. Think about it, more than 50 years ago, literati, virtuous officials, and businessmen all hung couplets in their rooms, which was both elegant and beautiful.


Artifact Date:

Artifact Era/Dynasty:

Creator:

Unknown

Creator Ancestory:

Chinese

Catalogue Entry

Online References:

Department:

The Museum Proper

On Display, In Storage, or in a Private Offsite Collection:

On Display

Replica or Original:

A hand written couplet hung on the left

Listen

00:00 / 01:04

Classification/Category:

Communication Objects

Specific Classification:

Notable Signatures,

Inscriptions, and/or Markings:

Primary Material:

Medium:

Dimensions:

Donated by:

Unknown

Accession Number:

Couplet Left

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