Lot Essay
The inscription on the first panel was composed by Ruan Yuan (1764-1849) at the Langhuan Studio, referenced in the seal inscribed at the bottom left. The second panel also bears Ruan Yuan's collector's seal. Also known as Boyuan, Ruan Yuan was a well-known scholar/official who passed his jinshi examination in 1789, and was subsequently appointed to the Hanlin Academy. He was famous for his literary work, Biographies of Astronomers and Mathematicians.