Currently not on view
Quatrain on Autumn,
undated
Yang Meizi 楊妹子, 1162–1232
Chinese
Southern Song dynasty, 1127–1279
1998-75 b
Empress Yang, the consort of Emperor Ningzong (r. 1195–1224), was one of the few women to achieve fame in calligraphy, an art, like most others in imperial China, dominated by men. The empress’s quatrain refers to the Double Ninth Festival (Zhongyang jie 重陽節) the ninth day of the ninth lunar month, on which revelers traditionally ascended hills or high towers to enjoy distant views: On festival days of the four seasons people busily hurry; From this one knows we are living in a happy domain. The ninth day approaches, yet beside the fence it is lonely; Only when the chrysanthemums blossom will the Zhongyang
Festival arrive. The style of Empress Yang’s calligraphy derives from that of Emperor Gaozong (r. 1127–62), whose work is seen to the right. However, the empress subtly varies this imperial style by introducing flaring diagonal strokes and twisting verticals inspired by a famed calligrapher of the eighth century.
Festival arrive. The style of Empress Yang’s calligraphy derives from that of Emperor Gaozong (r. 1127–62), whose work is seen to the right. However, the empress subtly varies this imperial style by introducing flaring diagonal strokes and twisting verticals inspired by a famed calligrapher of the eighth century.
Information
Title
Quatrain on Autumn
Dates
undated
Maker
Medium
Album leaf; ink on silk
Dimensions
Calligraphy: 25.4 × 27.4 cm (10 × 10 13/16 in.)
Sheet: 35.3 × 53 cm (13 7/8 × 20 7/8 in.)
Leaf (folded back): 38.8 × 57 cm (15 1/4 × 22 7/16 in.)
Credit Line
Bequest of John B. Elliott, Class of 1951
Object Number
1998-75 b
Place Made
Asia, China
Inscription
Artist’s seals:
1. “Yang xsing zhi zhang” square yang (left, middle)
a. Some read this seal as “Yang Mei zhi chang” (see colophons) or “Yang wa zhi zhang.” b. See Chiang Chao-shen article on Yang Meizi (see below).
2. Kun trigram (3 broken bars), square relief seal (left, bottom) (suggests a feminine aspect, i.e., a female artist). Yang Meizi is known to have used this seal.
Collectors' seals:
“Ming Anguo wan” oval yin (left, top) [this seal appears on many Song fans including a Ma Yuan fan in the Lam collection and on a Liang Kai scroll (Yiyuan duo yin, 34).
Wu Yuanhui (1834-1865): “Liquan shending” square yin (right, top)
“Nanhai Wu Yuanhui baowan” square yang (right, 2nd from bottom)
“Wu shi shengxianglou cang” square yin (right, 2nd from top) [the location of these 3 seals is identical to Wu’s seals on the Gaozong fan in this album, AMPU 1998-75a]
Unknown – “[ ] [ ] shending” vertical rectangular yin (right, bottom)
“Jian yanfu (?) an” square yang (on border under right corner of Yang calligraphy)
Colophons:
Far right: Luo Tianchi (b. 1805, jinshi degree, 1826), Signed, undated; damaged in (?); his opinion as to the identity of the artist is unclear.
Near left: Chen Qikun (t. Tangqi; jinshi degree, 1826; native of Canton), undated. Signed “Tangqi.”
Seal: square yang (under colophon) attributes calligraphy to Yang Meizi.
Far left: Wu Yuanhui (1834-1865), signed “Liquan”
Seals: “Wu Yuanhui” square half yang, half yin (upper); “Nanxuezhai yin” square yin (lower); “Liquan shending” square yin (on border under left corner of Yang calligraphy), attributes calligraphy to Yang Meizi.
Top: Pan Shicheng (zhuren degree, 1832), (the character “pan” is missing the water radical to its left due to damage). Signed.
Seals: “Shicheng,” square yang (left); “Hai shan xian guan zhuren,” vertical rectangular yang; (right): “Hai shan xian guan zhuren," vertical rectangular yang (right), attributes calligraphy to emperor Gaozong. [Nakata and Fu, Masterpieces, vol. 2 p. ii, give his dates as 1829-68. This seems unlikely if he received his degree in 1832].
Marks/Labels/Seals
Artist:
1."Yang xing zhi zhang" 楊姓之章 square relief (left, middle)
a. Some read this seal as "Yang Mei 妹 zhi chang" (see colo¬phons) or "Yang wa 娃 zhi zhang."
b. See Chiang Chao-shen article on Yang Meizi (see below)
2.Kun trigram (3 broken bars), square relief seal (left, bottom) (suggests a feminine aspect; i.e., a female artist). And Yang Meizi is known to have used this seal.
Collector An Guo 安國 (1481–1534):
"Ming Anguo wan" 明安國玩 oval intaglio (left, top)
[this seal appears on many Song fans including a Ma Yuan fan in the Lam coll., and on a Liang Kai scroll (Yiyuan duoyin, 34). On An Guo:
http://www.wikiwand.com/zh-tw/安国_(明朝收藏家) (accessed 3/23/2018)
安國（1481年－1534年），字民泰，明朝出版家，收藏家。安國是無錫膠山人，因在山坡上種植了大片桂樹而號桂坡。他布衣起家，後成為中國當時最富有的人之一，人稱「安百萬」。
他用銅活字擺印過《顏魯公文集》、《吳中水利通志》、《重校鶴山先生大全文集》、《石田詩選》、《春秋繁露》等書，校勘精細。他喜歡購買、收藏古書名畫，以至充棟，曾說「積金誨愚，積書誨明」，並「鑄活字銅板，印諸秘書，以廣其傳」。其收藏包括宋拓本《秦泰山刻石》等。
子安如山爲進士，官至四川按察司僉事。孫安希范亦爲進士。
Collector Wu Yuanhui 伍元蕙 (1834–1865):
"Liquan shending" 儷荃審定 square intaglio (right, top)
"Nanhai Wu Yuanhui baowan" 南海伍元蕙寶玩 sq. relief (right, 2nd from bottom)
"Wu shi shengxianglou cang" 伍氏聖香樓藏 sq. intaglio (right, 2nd from top)
[the location of these 3 seals in identical to Wu's seals on the Gaozong fan in this album, PUAM 1998-75a]
Unknown collector:
"[ ] [ ] shending" tall rect. intaglio (right, bottom)
"Jian yanfu(?) an" 健眼福庵 sq. relief (on border under right corner of Yang callig.)
Culture
Period
Materials
Subject
–1998 John B. Elliott (Princeton, NJ), by bequest to the Princeton University Art Museum, 1998.
