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Subject:Help with identifying seals, calligraphy and period of a Chinese painting embroidery
Posted By: StefanM Thu, Sep 21, 2017 IP: 178.149.80.7

Hello good people,

I am back with a second part of my inheritance lot.

This painting/embroidery has a frame of 101cm x 49cm and the exact size of the embroidery is 91cm x 39cm.

I am sending you calligraphy closeup pic, separate closeup pic of the seals and the whole painting pic (sorry for the flash reflection, I cannot get better pics without it).

In the next post, I will post a pic of a closeup detail.

Seems like a very nicely done embroidery on silk.

I would like to know what does the calligraphy says and the meaning of the seals. Also, I would love to know the time period and something about the artist and style (also is it genuinely made embroidery or a fake one).

Expecting your generous expertise and opinion (Nagy and Rat, thank you in advance),

Best regards too all,

Stefan M.








Subject:Re: Help with identifying seals, calligraphy and period of a Chinese painting embroidery
Posted By: StefanM Fri, Sep 22, 2017

Here is a closeup pic of the details.

Best regards,

Stefan M.



Subject:Re: Help with identifying seals, calligraphy and period of a Chinese painting embroidery
Posted By: rat Fri, Sep 22, 2017

Hi Stefan,

Your picture is likely not embroidered but woven silk, sometimes called a stevengraph. The image is a painting by Ming painter Tang Yin that is now in the Shanghai Museum. It is named after the first few characters of its inscription: "a pure breeze at a thatched hut". The original can be seen in some detail here:

http://yingbishufa.eshufa.com/ldhh/img/tangyin027.JPG

(A biography of Tang and some his other paintings are here: http://www.comuseum.com/painting/masters/tang-yin/)

While not nearly as valuable as a painting by Tang Yin would be, these woven images are collectibles in their own right. I'm not sure whether they are still being made, but there were a lot of them made between the 1930s and 1970s by companies in Hangzhou. I am not recommending that you break open the frame to check, but sometimes the company name was woven into the textiles' margins.

Subject:Re: Help with identifying seals, calligraphy and period of a Chinese painting embroidery
Posted By: StefanM Sun, Sep 24, 2017

Hi rat,

I cannot thank you enough!

I will explore more regarding the Chinese woven silk (stevengraph) and Hangzhou companies that might have made it, maybe I will find something similar online. I am not planing on breaking and opening the frame to check, I love this piece as well as the previous one I have posted, it is not all about the money value, I love it as it is and even more now that you have told that is was made based on the work of Tang Yin (+ I saw the original piece). Just love it!

Once again thank you for your help and knowledge,

Best regards,

Stefan M.

Subject:Re: Help with identifying seals, calligraphy and period of a Chinese painting embroidery
Posted By: I. Nagy Fri, Sep 22, 2017

The text, is easy to read,

茅屋風清槐影高白頭聨坐
講離騒懐賢欲鼓猗蘭操有
客携琴過小橋
唐寅  Tang Yin (Name of poet and painter)
(Tang Yin or Tong Yan 1470-1524, painter, poet and calligrapher of the Ming Dynasty)

In my rough translation it sounds,
Thatched cottage exposed to gentle breeze,
The shade of acacia still high,
With white heads we are sitting together
Talking about sorrow and parting,
However, still having virtue and desire to
tinker with orchids,
Here is a guest who crosses the small bridge
with zither in his hands.

As of the seals, their prints look very bad on the fabric-web.
On the net I have found more than half a dozen
seals from the artist. The second two characters do have some resemblance to these
listed seals, but the first one can not be found at all.

I think this is an another 20th century copy of
the original.

With regards,
I.Nagy




Subject:Re: Help with identifying seals, calligraphy and period of a Chinese painting embroidery
Posted By: StefanM Sun, Sep 24, 2017

Hello Nagy,

The translation sounds beautiful and a bit sad, however it goes quite well with the art. Love it!

Thank you for your generous help and knowledge,

Best regards,

Stefan M.


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