A HUANGHUALI BRUSHPOT

QING DYNASTY (1644-1911)

H: 11.3CM

Shidian 石顛 is the sobriquet of She Guanguo 佘觀國, a well-known painter, calligrapher, seal carver and carver in stone, various woods and bamboo (active late 18th-early 19th centuries). The poem reads:

極目江天景物秋	As far as eye can see, a scene of river and sky,
遊人歸載洞庭舟	In which a traveler rides in a Lake Dongting boat.
此中大有逍遙處	At this richly rewarding place for spontaneous free play,
塔影參差月滿樓	Where pagoda reflections undulate unevenly, and moonlight fills the house upstairs and down.
曉雲平暮煙橫	Daybreak clouds stretched flat, but now twilight mists cut across
幾雲	The several clouds,
秋聲隔岸生	As autumn sounds arise on the other bank,
詩人無限情	Provoking the poet to boundless feeling.
塔影清月色明	Reflections of pagodas distinct, cast of the moon bright,
飽挂帆破浪行	Raised sail filled, he cleaves the waves,
江山趁晚晴	Taking advantage of the evening clear here by mountains, on the river.
丙辰冬初	First month of winter in the year bingchen [31 October- 28 November 1796]
為	wei (by)
野鶴先生鐫於安樂書屋	Master Yehe (Wild Goose) at the Anle shuwu (Peaceful and Happy Studio).

Several Qing dynasty literati had Yehe 野鶴 (Wild Goose) as a personal name or sobriquet, but chronologically none are possible here. However, the most likely author of the text is Ding Yaogang 丁耀亢(1599-1669), a prolific writer in various genres, who was well-known for his ci lyrics, his works in that form preserved as the Ding Yehe xiansheng cigao 丁野鶴先生詞稿 (Draft Collection of Lyrics by Master Wild Goose). She Guanguo surely did the calligraphy for Ding’s text as well as engraving the scene.

清代黃花梨題詩筆筒「野鶴先生」製