- Museum number
- 1998,1112,0.1.CH
- Title
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Object: Fascination of Nature (乾坤生意)
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Object: Vitality of Heaven and Earth
- Description
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Handscroll. Painting in ink and colours on silk depicting insects and plants. Calligraphic frontispiece in seal-script and five colophons following the painting. Original silk cover with inscription of first British owner and extract from nineteenth century British sales catalogue. Inscription and seals.
- Production date
- 1321 (Dated)
- Dimensions
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Height: 27.70 centimetres (calligraphic frontispiece)
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Height: 27.60 centimetres (colophon 1)
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Height: 27.60 centimetres (colophon 2)
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Height: 27.10 centimetres (colophon 5)
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Height: 27.60 centimetres (colophons 3 & 4)
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Height: 28.50 centimetres (original cover silk)
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Height: 27.80 centimetres (painting)
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Length: 94.20 centimetres (calligraphic frontispiece)
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Length: 35.40 centimetres (colophon 1)
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Length: 35.20 centimetres (colophon 2)
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Length: 35.70 centimetres (colophon 5)
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Length: 40.90 centimetres (colophons 3 & 4)
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Length: 352.90 centimetres (painting)
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Width: 18.50 centimetres (original cover silk)
- $Inscriptions
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- Curator's comments
- Michaelson & Portal 2006:
This handscroll is a rare example of a signed and dated painting from the Yuan dynasty. Such paintings belong to a category known as 'plants and insects' which dates back as far as 1120 during the Northern Song dynasty. The colophon tell us of the deeper significance of the subject matter: the beauty and brightness of the natural world mask the confusion and disorder caused by the fight for survival. It reflects the dilemma faced by many Chinese of the period: whether to work for the new Mongol dynasty and survive, or remain loyal to the fallen Song imperial dynasty and starve. During the Yuan period concealed meanings were often found in artistic works for, under Mongol domination, the literati could only express their frustrations in subtle ways. The Mongols abolished the state examination system by which Chinese scholars had traditionally been recruited for government service. In any case, many refused to serve the Mongols, even when the exams were restored, and chose instead to live in seclusion, turning their talents to painting or writing.
- Location
- Not on display
- Exhibition history
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Exhibited:
2003/4 Oct-Jan, London, Hayward Gallery, 'Saved!100 Years of the National Art Collections Fund', no.206
2007 March 10 -June 10, Beijing, Palace Museum, Britain Meets the World: 1714-1830
2008 Jan 10-Aug 5, BM Galleries 91, Fascination With Nature
2014 Apr 3 -Aug 31, BM Gallery 91, 'Gems of Chinese painting: a voyage along the Yangzi River' (purple flower section)
2017 Nov 8-2018 June, London, BM, G33, 1st rotation (around first 170 cm)
2018 Sep 6- 2019 Jan 20, London, BM, G35, I Object (first half)
- Acquisition date
- 1998
- Acquisition notes
- Charity Number 276761
Lionel and Philip Robinson, London antiquarian book dealers, owned the painting jointly. Previous owners (?) wrote the colophons and calligraphy accompanying the painting. It is not known whether they also owned the painting.
According to Whitfield 1993:
Inside the cover and written at right angles to the length of the scroll, the finely inscribed name of an English owner 'W.Butler', and the date 1797.
May have been William Butler (1748-1822), writing-master
Printed sale label from 19th century: 'CHINESE DRAWINGS of Insects and Flowers, finely executed in colours, with written description in Chinese characters, a roll of early date, 12 feet in length and 11 inches broad. £2.2s
- Department
- Asia
- Registration number
- 1998,1112,0.1.CH
- Additional IDs
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Asia painting number: Ch.Ptg.Add.704 (Chinese Painting Additional Number)
