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Subject:Beautiful Qianjiang wig stand - Artist? Translation of poem?
Posted By: Tim Sun, Dec 06, 2015 IP: 76.110.209.69

Can someone help me identify the artist and general translation on the poem?

This wig stand I just bought has a lovely depiction of the He He Er Xian brothers (immortal twins) and Lui Hai playing with Chan Chu, the lucky three legged frog.

I see it is dated Yi Si (乙巳), so 1905, but it almost looks like there are 2 different signatures given there are also two poems with two different seals.

Doing my best with my limited knowledge of Chinese characters, but I can't quite match the right characters with a list of known Qianjiang artists.

Help please!
Thanks!







Subject:Re: Beautiful Qianjiang wig stand - Artist? Translation of poem?
Posted By: mikeoz Mon, Dec 07, 2015

譚順義作 Tan Shun Yi done

少雲民寫 Xiao Yun Min written

And in regard to the Xiao Yun Min poem, gratefully, from a posting by a colleague on another forum:

The text is 松风水月, 未足比其清华.

This is a quote from a text written by Emperor Taizong of Tang
dynasty for the buddhist monk Xuanzang.

"All the breeze by the pine and moon reflection in the water
cannot compare to his grace"

My comment: A beautiful hat stand.

Subject:Re: Beautiful Qianjiang wig stand - Artist? Translation of poem?
Posted By: Bill H Mon, Dec 07, 2015

The inscription on the left-hand side of the bottom picture is signed as done by Tan Shunyi (譚順義/谭顺义). I've given standard and simplified versions of the characters, because even though Tan is said to be a Guangxu period artist, the only information I could find was sourced to Mainland auctions, including 2014 Autumn Sales by Poly International Auction Co., Ltd. in Beijing.

I find it a bit strange that a Guangxu era artist capable of producing a decent hat stand like this isn't better known. Not a trace of him in the Davison "New & Revised Handbook of Marks on Chinese Ceramics". Nothing previous in the forum archive that I can find either.

Just glancing at the rest of this inscription, it mentions that the HeHe er Xian and Liu Hai are having some sport with the Money Toad.

Good luck,

Bill H.

Subject:Beautiful Qianjiang wig stand - Artist? Translation of poem?
Posted By: rat Mon, Dec 07, 2015

The artist is a Tan Shunyi (谭顺义 in simplified characters), the calligraphy is a text by the Tang emperor Taizong and written here by someone using a pen name "few clouds".

Subject:Beautiful Qianjiang wig stand - Artist? Translation of poem?
Posted By: Tim Tue, Dec 08, 2015

Thank you all for such detailed information, and I am pleased to hear of your appreciation of this piece.

To obscurity of this artist and the playful design of the painting has earned a spot in my small collection of pieces I keep for my own amusement.

Much appreciated!


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