博
Artist: Qian Fu (1461-1504) and Yang Yiqing (1454-1530)
Date: Ming (1368-1644)
Dimensions: Height 16.4 cm, Width 49.0 cm
Material: Ink on paper
Qian Fu (1461-1504), also known by his zi (designated name) Yuqian and hao (literary name) Hetan, was a native of Huating (in present-day Songjiang, Shanghai) and a descendant of Qian Liu, King of the Wu-Yue Kingdom. Qian Fu became zhuangyuan (first scorer in the imperial examination) in the third year (1490) of the Hongzhi era and was appointed as a compiler in the Hanlin Academy. Renowned for his poetry, he wrote the well-known poem Song of Tomorrow. The opening line "Tomorrow is followed by tomorrow, how many tomorrows are there?" was a famous advice on cherishing time. He was also an avid collector. Shen Zhou was inspired by works in his collection to create the handscroll Clear and Distant Rivers and Mountains. Yang Yiqing (1454-1530), with zi Yingning and hao Sui'an, was a native of Anning, Yunnan. He became a jinshi (a successful candidate of the imperial examination) in the eighth year (1472) of the Chenghua era and rose to the position of Senior Grand Secretary in the Grand Secretariat. This fan was inscribed by Qian Fu during a visit with his teacher Yang to a friend.
