Page 251 - Christies Japanese and Korean Art Sept 22 2020 NYC

century banchado paintings 班次圖, that is, paintings that depict trees—this scroll lacks the title at the top, just as it lacks a list of
the numerous participants and their relative positions in a grand the participants’ names. It is unclear whether this painting included
procession, usually a royal procession, the participants’ order distant mountains as a backdrop; if so—and it likely originally
determined by their rank or position in society. Although they did—that portion of the painting was lost with the title.
generally obscure all but the foreground figures and the nearest
government buildings, the low-lying mists permit a view of the Although fragmentary, this painting is rare—as few such paintings
distant mountains. survive—and it is important as it records an actual event and as it
is datable to the mid-seventeenth century, thanks to its colophon.
The title of the painting, generally written in seal-script With luck, a literary work that describes this event and that
characters 篆書字, characteristically appears above the mountains, can be associated with Sin Ikjeon—perhaps another diary, for
at the very top of the painting, and reads either 驄馬契會圖 or example—one day will come to light and thereby convey the
驄馬契圖, that is, “A Painting of a Gathering of Officials from event’s exact date as well as a list of participants. Meanwhile, this
the Office of the Inspector-General.” In addition to the painting, rare work reminds us of the important role that such paintings
title, and colophon, which describes the event and sometimes played in documenting official gathering and other events in the
conveys its date, a complete work also includes a list of the days before photography.
participants at the gathering.
Robert D. Mowry 毛瑞
Based on the description above, the present work clearly is Alan J. Dworsky Curator of Chinese Art Emeritus,
fragmentary. Although it includes the essential pictorial elements— Harvard Art Museums, and
the walled enclosure, government buildings, and the figures and Senior Consultant, Christie’s