The Shuowen Clique,

1847 (stone); late 19th to first half of 20th century (rubbing)

The Shuowen Clique

1847 (stone); late 19th to first half of 20th century (rubbing)

Luo Ping 羅聘 , painter
Gui Fu 桂馥 , calligrapher

Hanging scroll; ink rubbing on paper

image: 65.5 x 65.7 cm. (25 13/16 x 25 7/8 in.) 86 x 69 cm. (33 7/8 x 27 3/16 in.)

Gift of George Rowley

y1958-251

Asia, China

Top, left (partly cut off at top): Weng Fanggang 翁方綱 (1733-1818) [右揚州羅聘兩峰為曲阜桂馥未谷作說]文統系之圖北平翁方綱題記 Rubbing seals: “Weng Fanggang yin” 翁方綱印, sq. intaglio; “Zhengsan” 正三, sq. relief 觀濟寧學宮諸碑題記: 乾隆五十五年三月十有七日，北平翁方綱來觀濟寧學宮諸碑并曹仲經、張力臣手題，與秋盦、鐵橋考論金石，賦詩而去。 注：傅斯年圖書館藏拓本。 跋說文統系弟一圖 右揚州羅聘兩峰為曲阜桂馥未谷作說文統繫之圖。北平翁方綱題記。 注：傅斯年圖書館藏拓本。 Top, 2nd from left: [to be transcribed] Top, right (partly cut off at top): [to be transcribed] Middle, right: Gui Fu 桂馥 (1736-1805) 說文成于永元十二年[100]庚子是圖裝成為乾隆四十五年[1780] 庚子。桂馥謹記 “The Shuowen was completed in the gengzi cyclical year or 12th year of Yongyuan reign, and this picture was mounted on the gengzi cyclical year or 45th year of the Qianlong reign. Recorded with reverence by Gui Fu.” Rubbing seal: “Gui Fu zhi yin” 桂馥之印, sq. relief Lower, center: Zhu Jincong 朱錦琮 (late Qing dynasty), zi: Ruifang 瑞芳, hao: Shangzhai 尚齋, native of Haiyan 海鹽, Zhejiang province. Served as Prefect (zhifu 知府) of Dongchang 東昌, Shandong province. 昌黎因作文而 習小學。韓齋主 人借觀此圖有 年矣。知其人考 其書自然有得。 今欲歸之屬為 識焉。 道光丁未[1847]季秋月[]於 東昌郡齋 武原朱錦琮 Rubbing seal: “Zhu Jincong yin” 朱錦琮印, sq. intaglio Notes: 1. “Changli” 昌黎 and “Hanzhai zhuren” 韓齋主人 refer to Kong Xianyi孔憲彝 (1837 juren degree), hao: 韩斋, native of Qufu曲阜, Shandong province. Lower, left: [to be transcribed], dated 1847 Bottom, left: [cut off; to be transcribed]

Luo Ping 羅聘 (1733-1799) “Luo Ping Liangfeng” 羅聘兩峰, sq. intaglio . . .

An imaginary group portrait of men from the Han to Yuan dynasties (2nd-13th century) who were associated with the transmission of the Shuowen jiezi 說文解字 (literally: Explaining Graphs and Analyzing Characters) lexicon, which was compiled by Xu Shen 許愼 (ca. 58-ca. 148) and completed in 100 during the Eastern Han dynasty. According to a 1779 colophon by Zhang Xun 張塤 (1769 jinshi degree) that is omitted on this partial rubbing, Xu Shen is the tall elderly figure leading the group at left, supported on each side by Jiang Shi 江式 (d. 523) and Yan Zhitui 顏之推 (531-591). Behind them is Li Yangbing 李陽冰 (Tang dynasty) followed by the brothers Xu Xuan 徐鉉 (916-991) and Xu Kai 徐鍇 (920-974). In the rear is Zhang Youye 張有也 (?) and Wu Qiuyan 吾邱衍 (1272-1311), who walks with a stick because of his lame leg and carries books. The carved pictorial stone from which this rubbing was taken was based on a painting that the eccentric artist Luo Ping made in 1799 for the Shandong scholar and calligrapher Gui Fu 桂馥 (1736-1805), who had studied the Shuowen jiezi. After the painting was finished, Gui Fu asked many of his acquaintances, including the philosopher, calligrapher, and writer Weng Fanggang 翁方綱 (1733-1818) to inscribe it. Although more than one version of this painting that are attributed to Luo Ping survive, including one in the Shandong Museum, it is possible that the pictorial stone may no longer be extant.

Chinese

Qing

rubbings

figures (representations), groups of people, men