Artist: Dong Qichang (1555-1636)

Date: Ming (1368-1644)

Dimensions: Height 197.7 cm, Width 46.6 cm

Material: Ink on silk

• Object Type：
  • CALLIGRAPHY
• Location：
  • Chinese Calligraphy Gallery
• Tag：
  • poem running script hanging scroll dong qichang ming ink silk

Dong Qichang (1555-1636), a native of Huating (present-day Songjiang, Shanghai), is also known by his zi (designated name) Xuanzai and hao (literary name) Xiangguang Jushi. A jinshi (a successful candidate in the imperial examination) in the 17^th year (1589) of the Wanli reign, he was the Minister of Rites in Nanjing. He obtained the posthumous name Wenmin. Skilled in calligraphy, Dong was adept in regular, running and cursive scripts. This scroll, a transcription of the poem Bao Ding Ge by Ban Gu of the Han dynasty, was calligraphed in Dong's later years. The characters are executed in a stately and forceful style as that of Yan Zhenqing.