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Three Compositions for Friends in Cursive (Caoshu) And Clerical (Lishu) Scripts
Three Compositions for Friends in Cursive (Caoshu) And Clerical (Lishu) Scripts

Three Compositions for Friends in Cursive (Caoshu) And Clerical (Lishu) Scripts

Artist (Chinese, 1592 - 1652)
Datedated 1644
MaterialsInk on paper
DimensionsH. 12 in x W. 7 in x Th. 1 1/2 in, H. 30.5 cm x W. 17.8 cm x Th. 3.8 cm (overall)
Credit LineGift of the Yeh family
Object number2007.131
DepartmentChinese Art
ClassificationsPainting
On View
Not on view
SignedSection 9 Artist signature: 河南王鐸具草求正之。 Section 10 Seal:王鐸之印(白文方印);煙潭漁叟(白文方印)。 Section 11 Artist signature: By Wang Duo, the second month, 1644. 崇禎十七年二月舫中, 王鐸書。翼隆老社兄教正。 Seal:Wang Duo王鐸(朱文長方印) Section 12 Artist signature: By Wang Duo again, the second month, 1644.泊楚王鎮。甲申二月, 王鐸。翼老再教(殘) Seal:Seal of Wang Duo王鐸之印(白文方印)。 Section 13 Seal: Wang Duo王鐸( 朱文連珠印)。 (文內因輸入軟件中文字庫無此字, 以X號代)。
InscribedSection 1 過訪道未湯先生, 亭上登覽, 聞海外諸奇。 風動鈴奇樹影斜, 漆書奇變盡堪嗟;他山鳥獸諸侯會, 異國琳球帝子家。可道天樞通海眼, 始知日路小瓜窪;需時與爾探西極, 浩浩崑崙未有涯。 Section 2 其二 殊方別自有煙巒, 一葉艅艎世外觀;地折流沙繁品物, 人窮星歷涉波瀾。眉間藥色三光納, 匣裏龍(形萬)壑寒;好向橘官延受籙, 知君定不吝瓊丹。( 形萬二字落) Section 3 其三 八萬遐程燕薊中, 如雲弟子問鴻蒙;慣除修蟒箐風息, 屢縛雄鱒瘴霧空。靈藥施時回物病, 玉衡齊後代天工;幽房剩有長生訣, 一笑攏鬚過苑風。 Section 4 其四 圖畫充廚始攝然, 何殊層閣揖真仙;醉吟必映群花下, 閒臥情游古史前。琴瑟中和秋獨奏, 錕鋙光怪夜雙懸;欲從龍拂求靈液, 只恐鸞車泛海煙。 Section 5 夜中言 茫茫四海欲(何)安之, 鄉國哭歌正此時;有客自尋蕭寺隱, 故人還寄草堂詩。舊年觀奕方知宦, 今日梳頭不惡絲;五嶽胸中何必起, 蒙莊曳尾是誰師? Section 6 即吾園示僧 半載龍岡如老納, 彌猴園即是吾園;秋深花(落)知溪晚, 冬後雞(?)鳴覺樹喧。生死靜觀山不受, 榮枯閑閱佛無言;幡然卻悔從前誤, 夜夜神鈴懶閉門。(落「落」字 ) Section 7 至宜講驛 蕭條行色晚駸駸, 十六州中作苦吟;也憶嘉魚消宦況, 獨憐老鶴識秋心。 峰懸月路樵人斷, 水浸城根驛樹深;漸近故鄉憂更切, 梅花石洞鼓鼙音。 Section 8 友人濟源山水約 聞道丹書在泬寥, 喜君許我聽吹蕭;五雲不散陽臺匝, 萬谷長奔濟瀆朝。蔘窟白猿嗔 野史, 竹籃紫杏愛仙樵;將來儻出人間世, 笑弄若華看海潮。 Section 9 道未先生學通天人, 養多玄秘, 心服其人為龍象也。予曾手書一卷, 被盜竊去, 因再書此。今裱成再奉, 以贖遺失之愆。知道翁必大笑也。 Section 10 月來病, 力疾勉力書。時絕糧, 書數條賣之得五斗粟。買墨, 墨不嘉耳, 奈何。 Section 11 (in seal inscript) 隸書:白髮舞方改, 浮生病後身;隨舸皆客子, 透骨是酸辛。土銼夷同種, 霜畦蜃作鄰;薄才今得所, 幽眷豈能陳。( 禹峰言海外卜築)。 孤月當春夜, 河流冷不稀;偶然隨濩落, 幸未管戎機。擇木( X )靈鶺, 臨關換道衣;勳庸膴仕在, 野泊舊心違。(夜舟入內黃)。(文內因輸入軟件之中文字庫無此字, 以X號代)。 出世凌東渤, 與君餌蚌珠;相炰多異藥, 能考重微軀。治亂心難忘, 文章(道)不孤;鵬鴒飛渺渺, 大翼礙星衢。(雲齋禹峰舟中談海嶼)。 Section 12 巢燧嘗思遇, 情(瀾)不可裁;人和無寂寞, 樹怪(性字改 )可遲回;捧日開胸臆, 邀龍共酒杯;仙方如有授, 青髓果然開。(談海嶼)。 門戶織( X)蕭, 島中氣泬( X );身閑多懶態, 軍遠少惊飆。山蚤須真友, 天樞祝聖朝;不材無可讓, 送汐與觀潮。(談海)。(文內因輸入軟件中文字庫無此字, 以X號代)。 遭亂難全節, 失家有病軀;夜談同老僕, 晚食對殘瑜。曠野狐狸走, 虛舟鳥鼠趨;猶傳更幕府, 倚杖再三呼。 Section 13 (in cursive script) 章草: 予大小都不書隸, 恐應者不暇也。今避地潔身(下殘), 蟻舟中作此, 為冀隆知我, 故為乎( XXX ) 熱之濯可也。一莞爾。
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In his colophons on this work Ye Gongchuo provides insights into the some of the criteria he used for collecting and into his joy at acquiring a unique work by a major calligrapher. Gongchuo remarks that he had seen more than ten works by Wang Duo, none of which were as carefully composed as this one. Wang's dedication to Jesuit missionary Johann Adam Schall von Bell (1591–1666, known in China as Tang Daowei or Tang Ruowang) increased its desirability. The last section, which is in seal script (zhuanshu), also appealed to Gongchuo since examples of this script by Wang Duo were exceptionally rare. Gongchuo celebrates the purchase with two inscriptions: "This poetry handscroll, is now in my hand"and "Inscribed for acquiring this piece in the first month of the twenty-fifth year of the Republic [1936], Gongchuo."

This piece assembles three unrelated compositions by Wang Duo. The first is an important example of communication
between a member of the educated elite of China in the 1600s and a Jesuit missionary. It consists of a long poem written in cursive script (caoshu) and dedicated to von Bell. Wang records his responses to von Bell's tales and descriptions of the Western world, which were told over many meetings between the two men. Following this long poem are two series of poems written in clerical script (lishu). These are filled with the sadness Wang felt as he witnessed the turmoil that led to the fall of the Ming dynasty