Library of the Imperial Elder Sister

"Library of the Imperial Elder Sister (Huangjie tushu)" was a seal impressed on works of Chinese painting and calligraphy in the collection of Princess Sengge Ragi (ca. 1283-1331). Late in spring during the third lunar month of 1323, she held a major elegant gathering patterned after the Chinese tradition established by Wang Xizhi at the Orchid Pavilion some one thousand years earlier. In this case, however, scholar-officials from different ethnic backgrounds were among those invited to appreciate fine works in her collection. A Yuan contemporary and participant in the gathering, the scholar Yuan Jue, recorded 41 works of painting and calligraphy in her possession. And when evidence from inscriptions by other Yuan scholars and surviving works with her seals are taken into consideration, her collection is thought to have included at least fifty artworks. A portion of these are now some of the most treasured examples of Chinese painting and calligraphy in the National Palace Museum collection, the ones selected for this special exhibition also the most representative for expanding our understanding of Sengge Ragi's collection.

One of the "restricted" works in the first rotation is Huang Tingjian's "Poem on the Hall of Wind and Pines," a masterful transcription of his own poetry written while traveling by Wuchang in 1102. The poem records what he saw and nostalgically refers to literati friends who had passed away, including Su Shi. Done in semi-cursive script, the control of brush and ink in the handscroll is unsurpassed, creating characters invigorated yet elegant. In general, it sums up Huang's accomplishments in calligraphy and is a representative example of Northern Song literati art. After this work entered the collection of Princess Sengge Ragi, it was impressed at the front with her seal for "Library of the Imperial Elder Sister." When she held the elegant gathering at Tianqing Temple and invited scholars of different ethnic backgrounds to appreciate works in her collection, this handscroll was among them and inscribed by Li Jiong, Zhang Gui, Wang Yue, Feng Zizhen, and Yuan Jue. From their inscriptions that appear after Huang Tingjian's calligraphy, we can thereby imagine what transpired at her gathering. The rotation replacement for Huang Tingjian's masterpiece is Li Tang's "Intimate Scenery of River and Mountains," which also has a partial collection seal of hers.

The range of painting and calligraphy in Princess Sengge Ragi's collection is considerable. Not only were there famous examples of calligraphy, but also paintings on bird-and-flower and "ruled-line" architectural themes. Those with religious content are also noteworthy. For example, in this exhibition are two hanging scrolls entitled "Lohan" by the Southern Song artist Liu Songnian that are impressed with her "Library of the Imperial Elder Sister" seal. In the tradition of lohan painting, they are exceptional works also expressing the refined style of Southern Song court art. In the princess's collection, the Yuan painter Wang Zhenpeng is one of the few contemporary artists seen; "Dragon Boat Regatta" testifies to his command of "ruled-line" painting.