Page 16 - September 20 2021 Chinese Works of Art Bonhams NYC

PROPERTY FROM THE COLLECTION OF MARK S PRATT,
WASHINGTON, D.C.
106
ATTRIBUTED TO QIAN GU (1508-1578/87) The heritage of the famed Red Cliff in Chinese culture is two-fold.
Ode to the Red Cliff In addition to being the site of a crucial battle during the reign of
Horizontal handscroll, ink and color on paper, bearing a signature the Han Emperor Xiandi (208CE), the Red Cliff was the name of a
reading Qian Gu with one seal reading Qian shi, with three collectors’ destination for two journeys made by the great Song dynasty poet
seals on the painting, including one of Wang Zhen (1867-1938) and calligrapher Su Dongpo (1037-1101), who wrote two famed odes
reading Yiting dali and one reading Zeng zai fang zengyuan jia; with reflecting on the heroes of the battle and his own personal struggles.
a frontispiece and colophon by Wu Changshuo (1844-1927) ink on Setting aside the fact that the two Red Cliffs share only a name and
paper, titled in seal script followed by the colophon in running script, are geographically distinct, the Red Cliff became a source of inspiration
dated guichou xia qi yue (1913, summer, seventh month) signed Wu for painters and calligraphers for centuries to follow.
Changshuo Laofou with one calligrapher’s seal; mounted together
with calligraphy in running script signed Wen Peng (1498-1573), The present scroll features a depiction of the Su Dongpo’s journey in
the text comprising the Qianchibi fu (Former Ode to the Red Cliff) the style of the Ming artist Qian Gu, along with a transcription of the
signed Sanqiao Wen Peng with two calligrapher’s seals reading “Ode to the Red Cliff” in the style of the Ming dynasty calligrapher Wen
Wen Shoucheng yin and Wen Peng zhiyin, with two collector’s seals Peng. In the twentieth century, the painting was viewed by the two
on the calligraphy; with an outer title slip by Wang Zhen signed Shanghai school masters Wu Changshuo and Wang Zhen, who both
Bailongshanren with a calligrapher’s seal Yiting. added their own calligraphy to the scroll.
11 1/8 x 69 1/2in (28.2 x 176.5cm), the painting only; 11 1/4 x 45
1/2in (28.5 x 115.5cm) the frontispiece; 11 1/8 x 100in (28.2 x 254cm)
the calligraphy

$10,000 - 15,000
(傳) 錢谷 赤壁賦 設色紙本 手卷

Provenance:
Acquired in Tokyo, late 1950’s

來源:
1950年代購於東京

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