博
Artist: Zhao Puchu
Date: Modern
Material: Ink on paper
From 25 June to 4 July 1979, Matsushita Kōnosuke, known as the 'God of Management' in Japan, visited China at the invitation of Liao Chengzhi, Chair of the China-Japan Friendship Association. During his visit, he met with several Chinese state leaders including Vice Premier Deng Xiaoping and Mm. Deng Yingchao, who was then Vice Chair of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress. Inspired by Mr Matsushita's goodwill, Mr. Zhao Puchu, who was then Vice Chair of the China-Japan Friendship Association, composed the shi poem The Song of Supreme Longevity as a gift for him. In this poem, Mr. Zhao praised Mr. Matsushita's 'sharp eyes surveying the universe, with his firm conviction and good health' and expressed his hope that 'we are brothers walking hand in hand, to shine together in the East as time goes by'. Zhao Puchu portrayed Matsushita as a visionary elder with a broad mind and hoped that China and Japan would unite in fostering a strong friendship. This calligraphic work boasts flowing brushwork and bears the calligrapher's seal. It must be a preliminary draft that Zhao kept for himself, as the paper bears meticulous revisions. Zhao created this work at the age of seventy-three.
