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Works of master seal carvers on exhibit
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SEAL carving first appeared in the Shang Dynasty (c.16th century-11th century BC) when rulers used seals as a proof of authenticity and power. Later on, seals became less of a privilege. Writers, painters and craftsmen also used them for authentication. Even building materials like beams and rafters were stamped with a seal.
During the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), seal carving flourished as a form of art when painters and calligraphers finished their works with the red stamp of a seal or more. This vogue gave birth to a variety of seal styles.
Seal carving by artists in the Yangtze River Delta region was considered the best in those years. Wu Rangzhi and Zhao Zhiqian were two great masters in China’s seal-cutting history. Their works have been copied and imitated by generations of admirers in utter worship.
Wu and Zhao were also good at Chinese painting and calligraphy because seal carving, painting and calligraphy are inseparable in Chinese art. A Chinese poet-artist would write a poem in the blank area of an ink painting and apply his seal to the finished work.
Zhejiang Museum is holding an exhibition in its Wulin Pavilion through November 17 to display the works of Zhao and Wu. They include 69 calligraphic pieces and paintings and 87 seals.
Wu, a native of Anhui Province, studied seal carving from Deng Shiru and Bao Shichen, two famous calligraphers. Deng developed a unique style called the Deng school of calligraphy. Wu combined the seal script of the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC) and the Deng-style calligraphy to create seals marked by smooth lines and bold strokes.
Calligraphic skills are essential for seal carving. Wu was good at cursive script and regular script he learned from Bao and incorporated them into his seal art. Visitors to the exhibition will find square Chinese characters become round in Wu’s seals as the old master considered Chinese characters look too tight in a small seal. Giving them a round shape makes the seal look harmonious.
The second part of the exhibition displays the works of Zhao Zhiqian, a great master in calligraphy and painting. He invented the New Wei Script, now widely used in printing and advertising. He also borrowed a style of painting called “Qingteng Baiyang” in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) in his creation and had a big influence on modern-day flower painting. Zhao was a pioneer of the Shanghai school of painting.
One exhibit is a court mandate written by Zhao in red ink. It was a court ruling on the removal of a tomb. Zhao’s calligraphy is vividly illustrated.
Zhao, 30 years younger than Wu, carried on Wu’s style and brought the art of seal carving to a higher level, but their works have many similarities as can be seen in the exhibits.
Zhao and Wu absorbed the merits of their predecessors including Xu Wei and Chen Chun who created the “Qingteng Baiyang” style of painting, and eight idiosyncratic painters in Yangzhou. They influenced later masters like Wu Changshuo and Huang Shiling whose works are also on display.
DATE: Through November 17, closed on Mondays
Venue: Wulin Pavilion, Zhejiang Museum, Zone E, West Lake Culture Plaza, 581 Zhongshan Rd N.
Admission: Free
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