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Lady
with Parrot
Zhou Lianxia
mounted scroll, ink and colour on paper
Dated 1957
D: 37 cm
Scholar
and Tree Fan
Zhang
Daqian
ink and colour on paper
Dated 1953
L: 18.2 W: 45 cm
Duan
inkstone
Zhao Shuru carved a picture of narcissus and rock on
an inkstone and painted the same image as a set of gifts
for Xu Yaoqing.
1931
H: 1.9 cm L: 13 cm W: 11 cm
(Photo
courtesy of Shu-kong Soong)
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The Cultural
World of a Ci Poet
9 August to 24 September
2006
The University Museum and Art
Gallery of the University of Hong Kong is pleased to
present an exhibition featuring the collection of Soong
Hsun-leng, a modern Ci poet. Born in Fuzhou and
raised in Shanghai, Soong Hsun-leng was most active
during the early twentieth-century. Distinguished in
composing Ci poetry, and passionate about the
arts and music, he represents a modern literati figure.
On display will be over a hundred
items including a rich variety of Chinese paintings,
calligraphy, poetry, rare books and seals that have
been collected by five generations of the Soong family.
SoongÕs own literature and personal scholarÕs objects
will be displayed, along with personal gifts and letters
from his friends and acquaintances since the 1930s.
Each of these items represents the artistic milieu of
SoongÕs friends, whom are amongst the major cultural
personalities of the early Republican era. This exhibition
seeks to illuminate a particular cultural world that
existed from the 19th century until the mid-twentieth
century through the collection of a single distinguished
literatus. Soong is now 97 and lives in Bangkok, Thailand.
The social circle and leisure
activities of a scholar can define his status and reputation.
Traditional literati amused themselves with culturally-refined
activities such as playing music, playing chess and
writing poetry. They exchanged artworks to improve their
skills through the critique of their peers, and of course,
to be appreciated for their scholarly achievements and
artistic character. Such gifts reflect the taste and
lifestyles of the time as well as the complex social
networks between literati. Whether it is a seal from
a banker, or a greeting card from a friend, the gifts
in this exhibition have a value that is beyond sentimental.
Soong Dennie and Soong Shu-kong
have compiled an illustrated catalogue that will be
published by the University Museum and Art Gallery.
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