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Source Description
The prominent politician and modern reformer Liang Qichao writes here in an angular, firm, and little modulated regular script style, inspired by inscriptions incised on ancient stone steles. Those script styles were popular among reformers of the time, as they sought to revive the ancient culture and built a new China on the country’s strong ancient foundations. Each scroll cites the verse of a historic cultural figure in Chinese history.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
668916
label
Right Scroll from Calligraphy Couplet
core
obj
dtoType
object
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
668916
contentType
object
title
Right Scroll from Calligraphy Couplet
description
The prominent politician and modern reformer Liang Qichao writes here in an angular, firm, and little modulated regular script style, inspired by inscriptions incised on ancient stone steles. Those script styles were popular among reformers of the time, as they sought to revive the ancient culture and built a new China on the country’s strong ancient foundations. Each scroll cites the verse of a historic cultural figure in Chinese history.
date
after 1911
rights
CC0
rightsUri
CC0
language
en
wikidata
Q124246999
creators
543411
genreSpecific
Calligraphy
imageCount
1
source
import
dimensionsRaw
Overall: 128 x 30 cm (50 3/8 x 11 13/16 in.)
cul
China, Republican period (1912-49)
accession
2023.162.2
Source extras
tec
One of a pair of hanging scrolls; ink on paper
tombstone
Right Scroll from Calligraphy Couplet (對聯書法), after 1911. Liang Qichao (Chinese, 1873–1929). One of a pair of hanging scrolls; ink on paper; overall: 128 x 30 cm (50 3/8 x 11 13/16 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Severance and Greta Millikin Purchase Fund, 2023.162.2
titleInOriginalLanguage
對聯書法
collection
ASIAN - Hanging scroll
inscriptions
inscription
永夜鬧皆臥桂影
inscription_translation
Unending night, noisy steps in the shadows of sleeping osmanthus. ("yong ye nao jie gui ying ")
inscription_remark
This seven-character poem on the scroll on the right is the first line of the poem "Song of the Cave Spirit" (洞仙歌 or Dong Xian Ge) by a Song dynasty poet-literatus, Chao Buzhi 晁補之 (1053–1110).
sortorder
1
inscription
旨徽仁兄雅心
inscription_translation
To Zhihui, a benevolent brother with an elegant heart ("Zhihui ren xiong ya xin")
inscription_remark
Dedication on the first (right) scroll. The identity of Zhihui is as yet unknown.
sortorder
2
inscription
清晨簾幕卷輕霜
inscription_translation
A clear morning, curtains rise to a sprinkling of frost. ("qing chen lian mu juan qing shuang")
inscription_remark
This seven-character poem on the scroll on the left is the first line of the poem "Recitals from a Pure Heart" (訴衷情 or Su Zhong Qing) by a Song dynasty poet-literatus, Ouyang Xiu 歐陽修 (1007–1072).
sortorder
3
inscription
梁啟超筆宋詞
inscription_translation
Liang Qichao brushes Song poetry ("Liang Qichao bi Song ci")
inscription_remark
Artist's signature on the second (left) hanging scroll.
sortorder
4
inscription
[印] 新會梁氏.
[印] 啓超和印.
inscription_translation
The upper seal: Mr Liang of the New Society ("xin hui Liang shi").
The lower seal: Harmonious Seal of Qichao ("Qichao he yin")
inscription_remark
Artist's seals after his signature on the second (left) hanging scroll.
Although the pair of hanging scrolls are undated, the seals provide clues as to a possible dating. Given Liang was a reformer, he would have welcomed the 1911 Revolution and would have had made, and used, the New Society seal thereafter, in the first few years of the Republic, as a celebratory gesture. The second seal also suggests a post-1911 date as the ‘harmonious’ character could be a wish for a calmer period after the upheaval of the 1911 Revolution.
sortorder
5
didYouKnow
Liang Qichao aimed to reform the country and strengthen its foundations through the revival of the ancient culture of China.
creditline
Severance and Greta Millikin Purchase Fund
updatedAt
2026-05-29 09:14:22.500000
sourceId
668916
dept
Chinese Art
coll
ASIAN - Hanging scroll
med
One of a pair of hanging scrolls; ink on paper
creatorTags
male
Asian (from 1900 to present)
thumbnail_url
image_url
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
photo
mediaId
fc3c0254c007437a