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Hi there, I am very curious to learn more about these tiles with calligraphy and a drawing on them. Any information as to their purpose, age, maker, Japanese or Chinese etc. would be greatly appreciated. They are appr. 8.5 x 8.5 cm (3.4" x 3.4") in size. Thanks in advance!

Dear Jona

I am just a japanese language student from Brazil. But, since no one reply your ask for help, I am here to provide you some hints about I am not very sure.

Are those plaques of some children priestly school? These fragments are probably late Qing dynasty or beginning of Republic era judging from seal form in a red stamp, and brushwork. The usage of terms like 南山 (Southern Mountain) and references to 云 (clouds) are typical of Chinese literati landscapes, where poetry, maybe with Daoist elements, like the name of the myterious woman in the botom right 玄女 (Xuánnǚ) from 南山之 (Nánshān zhī) – the Southern Mountain) seams to be naturally expressed. In top right I think it's writen: 南山之 (Nánshān zhī 半身坐 (bàn shēn zuò) 云 (yún) – "Half of the body sits (in) the Southern Mountain cloud)"- I believe this is poetic imagery of someone meditating or being in nature or someone like in a spiritual transcendence or something..., because in a Daoist-Buddhist context the 云 (yún) "Cloud" could be interpreted as a symbol of impermanece or something like in between spaces, the mundane (so to speak) and the transcendent worlds.

I hope some chinese member could help better than I.
Best regards,
Renato

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