Currently not on view
One-stroke Tiger,
early morning (3:00–5:00 a.m.), February 24, 1902
Weng Tonghe 翁同龢, 1830–1904
Chinese
Qing dynasty, 1644–1912
2006-26
Weng Tonghe served as tutor to two Qing dynasty emperors, the Tongzhi Emperor (r. 1861–75) and the Guangxu Emperor (r. 1875–1908). In addition to his position as tutor, Weng held several important posts in the late Qing government, including president of the Board of Revenue, and served on the powerful Grand Council in 1882–84. He also participated in planning the first Sino-Japanese War (1894–95). In the year 1890, he turned sixty. At sixty years one has passed through a complete sixty-year cycle of the Heavenly Stems and Earthly Branches. It is an important life milestone and a celebrated occasion. The year of Weng’s birth and the year he turned sixty were both years of the tiger. To commemorate this achievement, Weng, an accomplished calligrapher, started writing the character for tiger, hu 虎, on a grand scale. Done in two large, swift strokes, this single-character work of calligraphy demonstrates the powerful visual effect the written language of China embodies.
Information
Title
One-stroke Tiger
Dates
early morning (3:00–5:00 a.m.), February 24, 1902
Maker
Medium
Hanging scroll; ink on red paper
Dimensions
Calligraphy: 158 x 68.5 cm. (62 3/16 x 26 15/16 in.)
Mount: 245.5 x 89.3 cm. (96 5/8 x 35 3/16 in.)
Credit Line
Gift of Wan-go H. C. Weng, in honor of Wen C. Fong, Class of 1951 and Graduate School Class of 1958, and Constance Tang Fong
Object Number
2006-26
Place Made
Asia, China
Inscription
early morning (3:00–5:00 a.m.), February 24, 1902
Titleslip:
松禪老人書一筆虎，壬寅年。五世孫翁興慶敬題，二千[零]六年三月。
One-stroke tiger brushed by Songchan laoren (Weng Tonghe), in the renyin cyclical year (1902). Respectfully inscribed by the 5th generation grandson Weng Xingqing (Wan-go Weng) in the 3rd month of 2006.
Marks/Labels/Seals
Characters and one seal in ink on label adhered to edge of rolled scroll
Artist seals:
"Weng Tonghe yin"翁同龢印, square intaglio (left, lower)
"Pingsheng" 缾生, square relief (left, upper)
"壬寅壬寅戊寅丁寅", large square relief seal (on tiger character), eight characters in seal script that designates the year (renyin 壬寅), month, day and hour—each of which contain the earthly-branch (dizhi) of yin, which correlates to the animal of tiger—datable to the early morning (3–5am) of February 24, 1902.
Culture
Period
Materials
1902– Weng Tonghe, 1830–1904 (China), by inheritance to Wan-go H.C. Weng (Lyme, NH).
–2006 Wan-go H.C. Weng (Lyme, NH), by gift to the Princeton University Art Museum, 2006.
–2006 Wan-go H.C. Weng (Lyme, NH), by gift to the Princeton University Art Museum, 2006.
