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Calligraphic Works and Manuscripts by Hongyi from the Collection of Gao Wenxian (Lots 171-176)
HONGYI (1880-1942)
Calligraphy - Namo Amituofo
Details
HONGYI (1880-1942)
Calligraphy - Namo Amituofo
Hanging scroll, blood on silk
51.5 x 19.8 cm. (20 ¼ x 7 ¾ in.)
Inscribed and signed, with one seal of the artist
Dated jiaxu year (1934)
Dedicated to Shengjin (Gao Wenxian, 1913-1991)
NOTE:
In February 1934, at the invitation of a monk at Nanputuo Temple, Hongyi planned to go to Xiamen to reform the monastic education of the Minnan Buddhist College. The plan fell through, and he stayed at Nanputuo Temple. According to his chronological biography, in the same month the monk Purun cut his finger to draw blood; the Master wrote several sheets with it and distributed them to those with karmic affinity—the present piece likely being one of them. The inscription reads "year of jiaxu" and "the day of Śākyamuni Buddha's parinirvāṇa," indicating it was written on the fifteenth day of the second lunar month in 1934.
In his early years, Hongyi wished to write sutras in blood, but was dissuaded by Master Yinguang due to his frail health. According to the inscription, this piece was written by Hongyi in 1934 using blood drawn from the finger of "Master Purun," and gifted to the layman Shengjin (Gao Wenxian). "Śramaṇa Purun" is Master Guangqia (1900–1994), originally named Zhaorun after ordination. He first met Hongyi at Nanputuo Temple in the winter of 1928, later attending to his daily needs and studying Buddhism under him. Hongyi renamed him Purun. He was a key protector of Hongyi during his later years in Fujian and later went to Singapore to spread the Dharma. This work is not only extremely rare but also bears witness to the intersection of Gao Wenxian with both Hongyi and Guangqia, holding significant artistic, historical, and documentary value.
Calligraphy - Namo Amituofo
Hanging scroll, blood on silk
51.5 x 19.8 cm. (20 ¼ x 7 ¾ in.)
Inscribed and signed, with one seal of the artist
Dated jiaxu year (1934)
Dedicated to Shengjin (Gao Wenxian, 1913-1991)
NOTE:
In February 1934, at the invitation of a monk at Nanputuo Temple, Hongyi planned to go to Xiamen to reform the monastic education of the Minnan Buddhist College. The plan fell through, and he stayed at Nanputuo Temple. According to his chronological biography, in the same month the monk Purun cut his finger to draw blood; the Master wrote several sheets with it and distributed them to those with karmic affinity—the present piece likely being one of them. The inscription reads "year of jiaxu" and "the day of Śākyamuni Buddha's parinirvāṇa," indicating it was written on the fifteenth day of the second lunar month in 1934.
In his early years, Hongyi wished to write sutras in blood, but was dissuaded by Master Yinguang due to his frail health. According to the inscription, this piece was written by Hongyi in 1934 using blood drawn from the finger of "Master Purun," and gifted to the layman Shengjin (Gao Wenxian). "Śramaṇa Purun" is Master Guangqia (1900–1994), originally named Zhaorun after ordination. He first met Hongyi at Nanputuo Temple in the winter of 1928, later attending to his daily needs and studying Buddhism under him. Hongyi renamed him Purun. He was a key protector of Hongyi during his later years in Fujian and later went to Singapore to spread the Dharma. This work is not only extremely rare but also bears witness to the intersection of Gao Wenxian with both Hongyi and Guangqia, holding significant artistic, historical, and documentary value.
Provenance
Acquired directly from the artist, thence by descent.
Further details
This collection comprises six groups of manuscripts and calligraphic works by Master Hongyi from the collection of Gao Wenxian (1913–1991), a devoted disciple who served as the master’s Minnan dialect interpreter and received the Dharma name Shengjin.
Dating from the mid-1930s to around 1940, the materials reflect Hongyi’s southern Fujian period. Inscriptions reveal a close master-disciple relationship, as Hongyi repeatedly wrote Buddhist texts, poems, and Dharma teachings for Shengjin between 1933 and 1938.
The collection includes calligraphic dedications, Buddhist manuscripts, a rare blood-inscribed Amitābha title, notes, and draft fragments, documenting Hongyi’s doctrinal interests, scriptural study, and daily monastic activities.
The materials also illuminate Hongyi’s network of lay followers, including Guangqia and Yu Zhilang, offering valuable insight into the Buddhist community of southern Fujian.
Preserved by the Gao family for over eighty years, this well‑provenanced collection illuminates multiple facets of Hongyi’s later years—his teaching, writing, and personal interactions. It stands as both an artistic testament and a vital documentary legacy of his southern Fujian period, embodying Gao Wenxian’s lifelong devotion to preserving and studying the master’s heritage.
Dating from the mid-1930s to around 1940, the materials reflect Hongyi’s southern Fujian period. Inscriptions reveal a close master-disciple relationship, as Hongyi repeatedly wrote Buddhist texts, poems, and Dharma teachings for Shengjin between 1933 and 1938.
The collection includes calligraphic dedications, Buddhist manuscripts, a rare blood-inscribed Amitābha title, notes, and draft fragments, documenting Hongyi’s doctrinal interests, scriptural study, and daily monastic activities.
The materials also illuminate Hongyi’s network of lay followers, including Guangqia and Yu Zhilang, offering valuable insight into the Buddhist community of southern Fujian.
Preserved by the Gao family for over eighty years, this well‑provenanced collection illuminates multiple facets of Hongyi’s later years—his teaching, writing, and personal interactions. It stands as both an artistic testament and a vital documentary legacy of his southern Fujian period, embodying Gao Wenxian’s lifelong devotion to preserving and studying the master’s heritage.
Brought to you by
Carmen Shek Cerne (石嘉雯)
Vice President, Head of Department, Chinese Paintings
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