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Lot Essay
This present black lacquer ink box with mother-of-pearl inlay is a rare piece, bearing the signature of Cai Chonghuan. Cai Chonghuan, also known by his courtesy name Yuanxun, was a renowned woodblock painter active of the late Ming dynasty, celebrated for his skillful composition of landscape paintings.
Landscape painting, shanshui hua, which emerged as an independent genre during the Tang Dynasty, evolved through the Song and Yuan periods. Initially characterized by meticulous detail and vibrant color, it gradually shifted to more expressive, freehand brushwork in ink. Over time, the genre moved from the realm of professional artists to the literati and officials, becoming an integral part of their cultural life. It served as both a means of exploring brush and ink techniques and a way to express their inner spirit, eventually becoming synonymous with refined taste and elegance.
This scene is meticulously composed, drawing significant inspiration from a woodblock illustration by Cai Chonghuan for the poem Jiu Ri, authored by the Tang emperor Li Kuo (742–805). The poem beautifully captures an autumn evening at Kunming Lake, where the breeze and nightscape are enjoyed under moonlight, accompanied by musicians. The illustration can be found in Tangshi Huapu ("Tang Poetry and Painting Book," fig.1), compiled by Huang Fengchi during the Tianqi period of the Ming Dynasty. This renowned book features around fifty Tang Dynasty poems, representing a collaboration between masters from various artistic disciplines. The calligraphy was contributed by esteemed figures such as Dong Qichang and Chen Jiru, while the illustrations were created by prominent painters, including Cai Chonghuan and Tang Shizhen.
Landscape painting, shanshui hua, which emerged as an independent genre during the Tang Dynasty, evolved through the Song and Yuan periods. Initially characterized by meticulous detail and vibrant color, it gradually shifted to more expressive, freehand brushwork in ink. Over time, the genre moved from the realm of professional artists to the literati and officials, becoming an integral part of their cultural life. It served as both a means of exploring brush and ink techniques and a way to express their inner spirit, eventually becoming synonymous with refined taste and elegance.
This scene is meticulously composed, drawing significant inspiration from a woodblock illustration by Cai Chonghuan for the poem Jiu Ri, authored by the Tang emperor Li Kuo (742–805). The poem beautifully captures an autumn evening at Kunming Lake, where the breeze and nightscape are enjoyed under moonlight, accompanied by musicians. The illustration can be found in Tangshi Huapu ("Tang Poetry and Painting Book," fig.1), compiled by Huang Fengchi during the Tianqi period of the Ming Dynasty. This renowned book features around fifty Tang Dynasty poems, representing a collaboration between masters from various artistic disciplines. The calligraphy was contributed by esteemed figures such as Dong Qichang and Chen Jiru, while the illustrations were created by prominent painters, including Cai Chonghuan and Tang Shizhen.